


The Rock Farmer's Daughters

by SketchaHolic



Category: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-10
Updated: 2020-10-24
Packaged: 2021-01-26 18:54:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 40
Words: 129,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21378910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SketchaHolic/pseuds/SketchaHolic
Summary: The Rainboom happens as it should, and a few certain fillies earn their cutie marks because of it. Except little Pinkamena Diane Pie, who went inside before she could witness it. Thus, she never left the rock farm.That meant she wasn't in Ponyville to throw that party that inspired a runaway colt named Cheese Sandwich.However, the two end up meeting in adulthood, and the broke wanderer Cheese takes a job at the rock farm, and works alongside the grumpy Pinkamena and her family.
Relationships: Pinkie Pie/Cheese Sandwich (My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic)
Comments: 28
Kudos: 46





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic was originally written in 2014 on FIMfiction and FanFiction.net. It was my first MLP fanfiction, where I decided to indulge my curiosity about what would happen to Cheese Sandwich if Pinkie had never seen the rainboom, as well as see if the CheesePie ship would work without them being party ponies. It was quite the fascinating ride, stripping the "party" from these ponies. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy.

The skies were cloudy as they always were, unwilling to let even a sliver of sunlight through. The land was barren, and there were only rocks of every size scattered atop the soil. Trees completely stripped of leaves stood in a few spaces, providing more gloom for the landscape. Other trees made up a forest nearby, and though they were a sign of life, they still didn't brighten up the place.

Among the rocks sat a farmhouse, with a windmill beside it and a silo several yards away. A simple fence surrounded the structures, which a family of Earth ponies called 'home.'

A little pink filly had pushed the last of her rocks into a pile and glanced around, searching for even a smidgen of color in the dreary landscape. When she saw that there was none, she sighed, and turned toward the house, her neck aching from her constant slouch that day.

She had just barely come into the house when she heard the voice of a mare speak her name.

"Pinkamena?"

The little filly looked up, gazing at her mother with her big, blue eyes. Next thing she knew, she was balancing a bowl of stone soup on her head, while her mother pointed up the stairs. Not much needed to be said on why she was doing this, and so she followed the silent directions, briefly glancing at her father and two of her sisters in the process.

Pinkamena shakily climbed the stairs, praying that she wouldn't drop the soup. Not only would it land her in trouble, but she wouldn't be able to shake the guilt of wasting the meal that was meant for her sick older sister. She took deep breaths as she ascended each step, with the phrase "so far, so good" repeating in her head.

That's when a sudden boom thundered in the air and shook the house. Pinkamena could hear the sisters below her shriek, and her father shouted something drowned out by the noise. She ended up dropping the bowl, though it miraculously landed right side up on one of the steps with only a minor spill. Her eyes were wide and her knees were shaking as she looked at the bowl and pondered the source of the boom. She was tempted to run to the window and look outside to see what had caused all the fuss.

However, she had a job to do, and she was going to finish it. Her big sister was waiting! So, she got the bowl onto her head once again, and continued her ascent, wishing her straight hair could grip it in order to keep it from falling.

She made it to the top of the stairs, and made her way to the room she shared with her sisters. She bumped open the door, and walked in just as she heard a rasping cough.

The cough came from a gray-coated, purple maned filly in one of the beds. She covered her mouth with her hoof as she coughed, and shudders went through her body. Once she finished her cough, she wiped her mouth, and looked out the window with an emotionless stare.

"Maud?" Pinkamena asked. "Are you okay?"

Maud continued to stare out the window, showing no sign having heard her. Pinkamena walked forward, still balancing the soup on her head as she approached. She had arrived at Maud's beside when the sick filly finally replied.

"I'll be fine," Maud said. She slowly turned to Pinkamena, who carefully slid the bowl off her head and onto Maud's lap. The older sister blinked, her half-lidded eyes on the soup that had been delivered. She murmured a word of thanks before leaning forward and taking a sip.

Pinkamena glanced out the window, and was surprised upon seeing no trace of the clouds that had covered the sky before. Instead there was a vast expanse of light blue above the landscape. Her mind went back to the boom a minute before, and asked, "Maud, did you see what made that big booming noise?"

Maud was still sipping her soup when Pinkamena asked this, and it took a few moments before she rose from the bowl, glanced outside, and answered, "It was a colorful shockwave in the sky."

Pinkamena raised an eyebrow and tilted her head at that answer. Maud ignored the look and added, "It cleared the sky… and made a rainbow."

Pinkamena still held that look, not knowing what to make of Maud's answer. She was a little disappointed that she missed seeing something so unusual, but considering it made the house shake, who knows what it would have done to her had she stayed outside. Still, she couldn't help but sigh. Seeing a rainbow would have been nice.

She watched as Maud took another sip of the soup.

* * *

Sometime after said boom, a lonely spirit left home.

The little orange colt plodded along the dirt road, his head hung as low as his spirits were. Though it was a bright and sunny day, he could feel clouds hanging over him. And despite the near silence of the field that the path cut through, he could hear voices in his head, calling him by every name that had been slapped onto him without a second thought. Every name, except his own.

"Four-eyes", referring to the glasses he wore.

"Curly", referring to the brown curls of his mane.

"Blank flank", referring to his lack of a cutie mark.

"Squeaker", referring to the squeaks that came out when he tried to speak.

"Dork", because that much was true, as was "Wimp", "Spineless", and many others.

Of course, part of the reason why he had many nicknames bestowed upon him was that nopony knew his name. He'd always be tongue-tied when introduced to someone new, especially if it was a filly. Failing to get his name out the first time would result in repeated interruptions when he nervously tried correcting those who called him names. Those always descended into a mini riot where he was the prime target, leading to him hiding from everypony the rest of the day.

Unfortunately, home was not much better. 

He shook his head, trying to shake those memories. He left that life behind; he swore he was never going back. He sighed, and repeated his name to himself.

"My name is Cheese Sandwich," he muttered. "Cheese Sandwich… Cheese Sandwich… Cheese Sandwich…"

His stomach began to growl. His own name being that of a kind of food was a hefty reminder that he had hardly anything to eat, his rations already reduced to nearly nothing. With a grimace, he looked up and scanned the area with his green eyes. He spotted a town not too far away, and where there's a town, there's food.

He took a deep breath. If he wanted to be fed, he'd have to talk to somepony. Did he have bits to pay for anything? What if these ponies didn't take kindly to strange colts asking for food?

His stomach rumbled again, and he exhaled. He broke into a trot for the town, figuring that talking to somepony was better than starving to death.

* * *

Cheese Sandwich curled up under the canopy of a tree, weary from the day he had. He was successful in finding food; however, he got in trouble with some apple farmers, could not form words to order something in every dining place he visited, and got himself kicked out of one place for reasons he did not know. He counted himself lucky to have even found food at all, considering what bits he had found had been spent on a simple, pink-frosted cupcake.

He began to wonder if running away from home was a good idea. He was filled with doubt about his ability to survive on his own, and pondered going back. Even if he had no friends, he at least had food and shelter. Of course, he reminded himself that he was not going back.

He yawned, and took off his glasses, placing them in the case he had packed in his sack. As he did so, he began to think up ways to try to get by. Resorting to stealing was certainly not an option; his heart was far too soft for that. Become a wild pony in that nearby jungle? Maybe not; from what he heard, the residents of this town were terrified of that place. There was no way he'd survive in there.

Start working a job or something? That was certainly something to consider.

He'd need to find the courage to ask somepony to hire a colt.

That was a thought he'd have to ponder the next morning.


	2. Unwanted Attention

_Several Years Later_

It was the crack of dawn. The rock farm was slowly being illuminated by the light of the rising sun seeping through the clouds, the blue ground and black lumps speckling it lightening into dull gray and brown rocks resting in dust and dirt of the same color. The air was cool on one's skin, and the freshness of it made one want to continue drinking it in.

A tan stallion stood on his porch, taking a deep whiff of the morning air. His amber eyes scanned the landscape before him, and he casually chewed on a piece of straw. Thinking about the work ahead of them that day, he could feel his bones begin to ache. He snorted and adjusted his hat, thinking, _No ache's going to stop today's work._

His wife walked out onto the porch and stood in her place beside him. She too smelled the air, and then glanced at the stern stallion. She cleared her throat and said, "We're running low on food again, Igneous. Better send one of the girls to town today."

Igneous bobbed his head and asked, "Whose turn is it to go to town today, Cloudy?"

"Pinkamena's."

Igneous snorted again, and sighed. "Wake the girls up."

* * *

Cloudy Quartz opened the door to the girls' room, finding three of them buried under their covers. She could hear snores from one bed, a silver tail slumping over the side of another, and the strands of dark pink hair spread out on the pillow of another, sourcing from the mare bundled up in her blankets.

The only one not asleep was the oldest mare, Maud, who merely looked out the window at the field. She knew that her mother had walked in; she just didn't show it.

Cloudy just needed to wake the other three up. With a stomp of her hoof, she shouted, "Pinkamena! Marble! Limestone! It's time to get up! Get ready and come down for breakfast!"

Three simulataneous groans came from the beds, and the three mares rose from them. The gray one with a darker gray mane was wiping drool from her mouth; the blue-gray one with a silver mane was rubbing her eyes; and the pink one was pulling strands of her long hair out of her mouth. They all opened their eyes and looked around, sighing when they realized that they had been pulled out of dreamland.

Cloudy nodded and said, "All right, make haste, girls." Then she turned around and trotted out of the room, shutting the door behind her.

Maud slid off her bed and walked to the mirror. She took one look at her reflection, and muttered, "It looks good."

The gray one, Marble, looked at her reflection next. Upon spotting the cowlick that had formed, she dabbed her hoof with her tongue and smoothed it down.

The blue one, Limestone had her turn next. She felt the back of her head for any bird's nests that had formed during her slumber, and breathed a sigh of relief when she found none.

Pinkamena was last, and took a look at her reflection. She fanned her mane out with her hooves, and then smoothed it back down when she was seemingly satisfied. Smelling breakfast, she followed her sisters down the stairs to see what their mother had cooked.

As they ate, Cloudy informed Pinkamena about her trip to town. The pink mare's mood went from dull to sour in an instant.

* * *

To say this boxcar was uncomfortably noisy was an understatement. And it wasn't just because it was a rickety old car.

Cheese Sandwich could not sleep in the presence of the ruffians that he shared it with, for fear that they'd steal what little he carried. A plain brown poncho to keep him from getting too dusty, his glasses case, a small bag of bits, and a bag of food were all he had. He warily glanced at them every minute, seeing the usual games the boisterous ponies played and catching snippets of conversations that some had. He caught some of the stallions eyeing him with glares or suggestive looks, and he stayed scooted into his corner, waiting for the next stop so he could slip out as quickly as he could.

Most of the time he walked, but there were times when he'd slip into a boxcar to travel. Usually he would be alone or with a friendly stranger. These strangers, however, did not seem to be friendly, at least to him. Did he look like an easy target, due to his eyeglasses and lanky physique? He certainly stood out from the bulky, greasy group he was with.

He scraped some dirt off his hooves, scattering it around in his corner. Of course, not long after he started doing this, he could hear the steady clopping of hooves approaching him. Cheese could smell the other stallion already, and it wasn't a pleasant smell.

"Well, well, well…"

Cheese looked up, finding himself face to face with a brown, green-haired stallion with a wicked grin on his face. He felt his stomach lurch at the possible things the stallion wanted to do to him. The greasy musclehead stealing his stuff was the least of his worries.

The larger stallion continued, "What's a little toothpick like you hanging with us?"

Cheese took off his glasses, and began to wipe them with a cloth pulled from a pocket on the inside of his poncho. The voice in his head was telling him to run, but unless he wanted to throw himself off a moving train, he was going nowhere.

The other pony bumped him. "Well?"

Cheese snorted and answered, "Just traveling, like I always do." He briefly glanced at the tiny brown hoof prints on his flank, representing the thing he had been doing for years.

"Always?" the other stallion chuckled. "Been on some adventures?"

"A few. Crazy stories I should tell someday."

"Ah… so you've had your share of wild rides?"

The tone which the other pony said that made Cheese shudder. The sense that this conversation was not going to end well was gnawing at him in every place, and he was considering bolting out of the boxcar, whether or not the train stopped. He put his glasses back on, picked up his things, and attempted to walk out of his corner, only to find himself surrounded.

"Now, now, we just want to be friends, Mister… Mister…"

Cheese didn't answer. He ran his hoof through his curly mane and took deep breaths. The green-maned pony and his two buddies expected him to answer with his name, and frankly, those creeps were the kind of ponies he didn't want knowing his name. He had to escape somehow.

So, without thinking, he threw his bag of bits at the first pony's face. When the larger stallion staggered back in surprise, Cheese galloped through the opening that was made and went to the door. As he started to slide it open, he noticed the other two making their way toward him. He quickly threw his bag of food at them, and cracked the door open just big enough for him to squeeze through.

He started to slip out the door, and the wind was already blowing through his already crazy mane. He could see that the train was chugging through a field of dry grass, which was better than the drop he imagined. He had squeezed himself out halfway when he felt his tail being chomped on and pulled. In a state of panic, he shot out his back leg, which collided with somepony if the pained cry was anything to go by. Luckily, it was the same pony that had his tail, so Cheese was free to pop through the door and tumble into the grass.

Dizzy and aching all over, he forced himself to sit up, and watched as the train chugged away. Tapping his glasses, which somehow survived the experience, he laughed in triumph… until he realized that he had thrown his bits and food at the thugs. His laughter then transformed into a frustrated scream.

* * *

Later that day, Pinkamena made her trip to town, with a list of what to get. Flour, salt, and sugar were at the top of the list. Oats and cornmeal were just below them. After the first five, it was just a list of various fruits and vegetables. Figuring that they were going to get a lot of this stuff, she had gotten the cart and rolled it into town.

She had just barely crossed the railroad tracks before she heard the whistle of the train pulling into the station. She took a curious glance at it, and saw a bunch of thugs pouring out of one boxcar. She wondered how long it would take for someone else to notice them, and continued to walk.

She purchased the first few things on the list, keeping her head level about her chore. It was her least favorite, even though it got her away from the farm for a little bit. The bags were placed in her cart, and she continued her trip through town.

As she made her way to the produce market, she glanced at the townsfolk that were outside that day. Mares and stallions were chatting, exchanging goods, or going on walks. Fillies and colts played games in the streets, and some of the more mischievous ones were playing pranks on the more uppity citizens. Older ponies were content to sit and watch the foals play.

Pinkamena was content to watch the playing foals as well. Of course, when a teasing colt ran by with a doll, pursued by a crying filly, she quickly snatched it out of the colt's mouth, and returned it to its owner. The filly squeaked a word of thanks before galloping off. Giving a warning glare to the colt, Pinkamena continued her journey to the produce.

Despite grocery shopping being her least favorite chore, she was more than happy to get off the farm for a bit. In fact, the trip would be her favorite chore if it wasn't for one thing.

Or rather, one pony, that she was not pleased to bump into.

Light green coat, messy red mane, and amber eyes. A smug grin and half-lidded eyes always plastered on his face. Always donning a black cowboy hat and a black bandanna. And a cutie mark resembling that of an apple. A brown one at that. She scowled when she found him in her way yet again.

"Why, if it ain't the lovely Pinkamena!" the proud stallion exclaimed.

_Here we go again,_ she thought. "What now, Cortland?"

"Just thought Ah'd see what the Pie family's been up to since we last met," Cortland answered.

Pinkamena raised an eyebrow. "You could have asked my sister when it was her turn to come to town."

"But… Ah prefer talkin' ta you."

Pinkamena glared at him for a few seconds, and then walked around him, cart and all. It didn't take long for him to start following and chattering away about himself. She tuned him out, since she had practically memorized his ramble. He competed in rodeos, he was the best apple farmer of the town (never mind that his immediate family were the only apple farmers in town), he was handsome and the best older brother to a colt and filly (he never mentioned their names). And then came the whining about how his cousin Applejack was granted great power (did he even read the whole news article?), and that his mother was trying to restrain him. And then came the part about "Apple Pie."

With a groan, she said the tired phrase, "Cortland, I'm not interested."

"Why?" he asked. "Little Apple Pie will be the cutest foal in Equestria!"

"We've been through this. I don't think a romance between us will work out. The kid would end up putting rocks in the apple stuff." She glanced at her cutie mark—a tan rock and two gray ones-as she said this. "Go find another mare; I'm sure someone around here will be interested."

"But you—"

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to buy some vegetables."

Cortland snorted and trotted away, grumbling under his breath about how he was going to win over that stubborn mare. He glanced at Pinkamena one last time, wondering why that little rock farmer couldn't see the gem he was.

* * *

Cheese had been following the railroad tracks all morning. With stomach rumbling and hooves hurting, he was wishing that boxcar had been empty. Those thugs gave him quite a fright, and in his panic, he had lost his food and bits to them. He prayed that they didn't get off the train in the next town.

He descended down a hill, kicking up dust that flew into his nose. The violent sneeze that resulted made him lose his balance and stumble face first to the bottom of the hill.

He laid there for a few moments, seeing stars twinkle above his head. After a few blinks and a shake of the head, he shakily stood up. He checked his glasses for any damage, and once again, they were miraculously intact, though they needed cleaning. He brushed off his poncho, took the cloth from the pocket, and wiped the lenses clean.

Once he placed the glasses on his muzzle, his face fell at the sight of a large river before him. He glanced at the railroad, which was on a bridge across the river. He looked around, hoping to find a footbridge, but there was no luck. His only option was to swim across, and the murky water did not look welcoming.

"Oh, horseapples," he muttered.


	3. Dust and Dirt

With all four of his legs caked in mud, sand sticking to his wet poncho, and his mane and tail now damp and wavy, Cheese Sandwich was wishing for a bath. His stomach moaned, and a meal was added to his wish list. And under the heat of the sun, he wished that it was a little cooler. A gentle breeze would certainly be nice.

He walked beside the railroad, which was ascending up yet another hill. His legs ached from his frustrating journey, and he felt due to collapse any moment. Looking up to the top of the hill, he told himself that once he got there, he could lay down and rest in the grass; perhaps even take a nap. Seeing as he couldn't sleep the night before thanks to the riffraff he ended up in the same boxcar as, the thought of a nap sounded very nice.

Once he reached the top of the hill, he plopped down onto his belly, thankful that the grass was soft and cool. With a content sigh, he laid his head down, letting the green blades caress his chin. Though he still wished the sun wasn't so hot, the patch of grass he laid on was just perfect.

Cheese couldn't ignore the itchiness of his dirty legs, however. The mud had dried and cracked, and while most of it just stuck to his coat, the mud touching his skin was absolutely irritating. So, naturally, he began to scratch it.

He lifted his head and took a hard look at his itchy foreleg, scratching it with his other. The dry mud flaked off his leg as he did so. Cheese muttered under his breath about his experience at the river, and the amazing amount of mud that graced its bottom and hid its depth.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of some buildings. Turning his head that direction, he saw a town, just down in the valley. His eyes swept the landscape, from the apple orchard that led directly from one side of town to the strangely rock-themed train station. Beyond the station was a barren landscape under an overcast sky, occupied by a single farmhouse that looked very tiny from his perspective. He briefly wondered why anypony would live there, but then turned his attention back to the town. He could see ponies walking down its street, chatting with each other, and entering and exiting buildings.

The thrill of finally reaching a town got him to his hooves, and he broke out into a gallop.

* * *

"Thank you for the cabbages, Mr. Green," Pinkamena said, tossing a couple of the vegetables into her cart.

She dropped a couple bits into the older stallion's hat, turned, and walked away from the cabbage stand. Checking off her list, she hitched herself to the cart and began her trot back to the farm. She didn't even turn when she heard some foals screaming, a crash behind her, followed by Mr. Green shouting in dismay.

The cart she pulled was full of fruits, vegetables, and dry goods she had purchased, and she was certain that it was more than enough for her family to get by for the next few months. She kept a steady pace, taking care to leave room in the road for those coming from the direction she was headed. Only a fool waltzed down the middle of the street like royalty, especially when pulling a cart.

Dust was surrounding the hooves of everypony, who all seemed to be busy with some errand. Chickens clucked, ponies chattered, and clops of all speeds sent even more dust up. Pinkamena could hear several sneezes as she trotted. Sunny days always equaled dusty days for some reason. Her nose itched as well, and it wasn't long before she let out a sneeze of her own.

She slowed to a stop in front of one of the stores. She looked around her, making sure that no eyes were on her. She continued to glance around as she unhitched herself from the cart, and walked into the store.

Once inside, she heard jolly laughs from the couple manning the counter.

"Pinkamena!" the chubby yellow stallion exclaimed. "It's good to see you, young mare!"

"I see it's your turn to visit town, huh?" the white pegasus mare asked.

"Hello, Lemon Drop. Hello, Sugar Glider," Pinkamena greeted. "How's the foal coming along?"

Sugar Glider lifted her wings, and caressed her bulging side. Giggling, she stroked her red mane and answered, "The little one's got a strong kick. That tells me he or she is doing well."

"That's good," Pinkamena said, nodding. "Now… how do I satisfy my sweet tooth today…?" She looked at the glass jars, which were all filled with various candies. She narrowed her eyes and scrutinized the sweets in the containers, scanning every gumdrop, licorice, lollipop, candy cane, and many other kinds of candy.

It was a tough decision, given that she only visited town about once a month and that she had to hurry back to the farm. That was without considering the possibility of some crook stealing the groceries. She needed to decide quickly, and hope that her choice was a good one.

* * *

Cheese rehearsed the lines to himself as he walked into town. "Hello, my name is Cheese Sandwich. Is there any place where you need an extra set of hooves?" He gazed at his muddy hooves once again. "Perhaps someplace where I can bathe and eat? And wash my poncho… and maybe restock myself for my travels… and maybe—d'oh, Cheese, you're rambling again!"

He lifted a hoof to rub his eye, but resisted the urge when he realized that he could get dirt in his eye. He looked around at the buildings and stalls lining the dusty road. The stalls run by single ponies were selling fruits and vegetables, while signs told him that the stores sold dry goods such as flour and oats. Working in the dry goods store was worth considering.

Other buildings included the barbershop, the dentist's place, a bakery, a candy shop, and several other things. He added more possibilities to his imaginary list, while also brainstorming ideas on how to approach the owners without a nervous breakdown. He had to remind himself that he had gotten jobs before; he could do it again.

Sitting across from the candy shop, he could see a saloon, which he immediately crossed out of his imaginary list. Drunken bar fights had always terrified him, and that wasn't going to change anytime soon.

He looked to the candy shop again, watching a few foals run in happily. He couldn't help but smile at the sight, although his view seemed to be blocked by a cart full of a load of dry goods, fruits, and vegetables. Staring at the cart, he put a hoof on his belly and drooled. That food sure looked delicious. However, it was not his to take. Then he started to worry that somepony would steal the goods in the cart, if not the cart itself.

His worries switched to something else as he noticed some familiar faces waltzing out of the saloon. While the thought of them having used his hard-earned bits made his blood boil, the dread of those stallions being in the same town as he was overshadowed it. He stood there, frozen in place, trying to will himself to be invisible. He glanced at the cart, and thought about hiding in it.

The thugs made their way to the cart. Cheese watched as they examined it in many strange ways. They looked at it up and down. They put their ears to it to listen to… something, he didn't know. They sniffed the wood, and licked the wheels. Cheese could not help but sport an odd expression upon seeing the interesting examination.

And then he heard them start laughing, and they all faced the door of the shop cautiously, save for one, who was hitching himself to the cart. Cheese's odd expression transformed into a sharp glare. Of course they were going to steal it.

Given the amount of food that was in the cart, he imagined a farmer with a large family in the candy shop, watching as his foals picked out their treats. He imagined them walking out that door, only to discover that their cart was gone. The thought of somepony's whole family starving wrenched his heart, and it angered him to see stallions who didn't even care.

So, he yelled, in a louder voice than he thought was possible for him, "That is not your cart!"

The heads of the stallions turned toward him. The leader, the same green-maned thug he encountered on the train, stared at him for a few moments, before shouting, "Well, well, if it isn't the little Toothpick!"

Cheese's face fell upon hearing that. Before long, the ponies had abandoned the cart and were making their way toward him. He backed up as they walked forward, and much to his dismay, he tripped over a rock and landed straight onto his hindquarters. Rubbing his rump, he looked up at the thugs towering over him.

"Why, Toothpick…" the leader said. "We haven't been properly introduced. Let's try it again, shall we?"

"Meep," Cheese squeaked.

* * *

After a little thinking, Pinkamena purchased a small jawbreaker. Once she had finished exchanging a bit for the candy, she popped it into her mouth, and contentedly sucked on it. Looking at the couple before her, she said, "It's good."

"Thank you very much," Lemon Drop said. Tapping his hoof on the counter, he added,"Yanno, the whole town's talking about that handsome Apple stallion attempting to court one of the Pie sisters."

Pinkamena groaned. "I told him I'm not interested."

Sugar Glider tilted her head. "Why so, dear?"

"He comes on too strong and won't take 'no' for an answer."

"Well…" Lemon murmured. "They weren't lying about his persistence."

Sugar giggled. "Well, somepony oughta let him know that actively looking for romance with a certain mare doesn't make it happen. Maybe he'll meet another mare someday, and slowly realize what love really is as he gets to know her."

"And then I'll be happy that he's off my back," Pinkamena said.

The three of them heard shouts from outside, accompanied by boisterous neighing and laughter. They all looked to the door with questioning looks, and within seconds, the three of them were outside to see what the commotion was.

Sure enough, it was a group of greasy stallions, sitting in a circle beside her cart and pushing around some poor soul. From what Pinkamena could see, the one they were torturing had an orange coat. Sitting in the dust outside the circle was a dirty poncho and a pair of glasses. She glanced at the items, and then to the circle again, where she heard vulgar things being said and saw some of the ponies snatch some food from her cart.

With a snort, she stomped toward the circle. She approached the closest stallion, who had his back turned, and tapped him on the back. Seeing that the pony ignored him, she tapped some more. She tapped a third time before deciding to take a different approach. So, she turned around, and shot out her hind leg, feeling it collide with the stallion's back. The resulting howl of pain and the collapse that followed caught the other stallions' attention.

They watched the mare slowly turn back around to face them , with a small but firm scowl on her face. They were frozen when she gave them an icy stare, with only their eyes looking between her and the stallion she had taken down. They had dropped the dazed orange pony they had been pushing around, and could only sit transfixed as she continued to stare.

Finally, after a tense minute, Pinkamena snarled, _"Scram."_

They quickly obeyed her, picking up their comrade and leaving their victim. They hightailed it as fast as they could, looking back every so often to see that she wasn't following them.

Pinkamena watched them run like the cowards they were. "Hmph."

She bent down to take a look at the pony they had been toying with. He was smudged with dust from the road, dried mud from the river about a mile from town, and grease and spit from the thugs. Dirt was sticking to his brown mane and tail, and he sported a bit of a wall-eyed look. She poked him, and his green eyes were beginning to straighten.

"Please stop spinning, mister," he sputtered. "You'll lose your cotton candy."

Pinkamena raised an eyebrow and said, "I'm a mare."

The stallion blinked, and he shot up to a sitting position. With a red face, he stammered, "I am so, so, so sorry! I-I-I'm just—I'm just sorta kinda blind without my glasses, ma'am! I hope you're not too offended, I didn't mean to!"

"Calm down. I'm not offended," Pinkamena said flatly. She picked up the glasses and pushed them onto his face. "There, can you see better?"

He blinked a few times, and nodded. Now that his glasses were back on, he could clearly see the mare's face. Although she held a strange mix of sour and indifferent in her expression, he couldn't help but be drawn to her bright blue eyes. Of course, when he realized he was staring, he turned away, and stood up.

"…thanks for the help," he muttered, brushing his hoof on the ground.

"Those thugs were snatching vegetables from my cart," Pinkamena said, picking up the poncho.

"Oh… that's your cart? That's a lot of food."

"I'm shopping for my family."

"Makes sense…"

"You need a bath."

"I know."

"Then go home and take one."

"I… uh… don't have a home."

Pinkamena threw the poncho at his face. "That needs to be washed."

He took the poncho off his face, opened his mouth, and closed it again. Clearing his throat, he asked, "Is there… any place you know… that could use a helping hoof… Miss…"

The mare was already hitching herself to the cart. "Pie. Pinkamena Pie. And you are?"

"Uh, well, it's sorta embarrassing…"

"Spill it."

He sighed. "Cheese Sandwich."

"Hmph. Well, Mr. Sandwich, feel free to come work at the Pie family rock farm. Or don't. I don't care either way. You're not built for that kind of work, anyway. On the off chance you do come, you better be clean of those disgusting stallions you were with. Seriously, they reeked."

"I agree, Miss Pie."

Pinkamena started to walk away, towing her cart back home. As she did so, she added, "I'd also appreciate it if you'd pay for the vegetables that were stolen once you earn some bits. Obviously those slimy crooks won't do that."

"Uh, yeah… I guess…"

He stood there as he watched her leave, quite confused about the conversation they had. It made sense… yet somehow didn't. He couldn't place his hoof on why though. Although he was grateful for her intervention, her attitude was a little off-putting. And then his mind went back to her beautiful eyes.

"Oh, don't worry about Pinkamena," Sugar Glider said, walking over to Cheese's side. "She's actually very sweet once you get to know her."

"Yep," Lemon Drop said. "She's visited our shop enough for us to know that."

"Good to know," Cheese muttered.

"Now…" Sugar looked at Cheese's coat, and then glanced at her husband, who simply nodded. She smiled, took Cheese by the hoof and said, "Come on, I'll take you home so you can take a bath and wash that poncho. You can't go looking for a job smelling like that, young colt."

"Oh, I, uh… thank you." Cheese smiled back, only for his face to fall and flush red in embarrassment when his stomach rumbled. "Oh, um…"

Lemon laughed and exclaimed, "Make sure to feed him, too, Sugar!"


	4. The Rock Farm

Once Pinkamena crossed the tracks, all the chatter of the townsfolk, the clopping of their hooves, and the squeaks of wheels from other carts went silent. She knew that the ponies were still talking; it was just that she couldn't hear them anymore. She didn't even slow down to ponder this; she didn't need to. All she could hear were the steady clops of her own four hooves and the faint squeaks she heard from the wheels.

She plodded along the dirt road that led home, spotting the first few rocks of the farm appear beside it. Those few heralded the appearance of a dozen more rocks ahead, and that dozen heralded the appearance of around fifty more rocks. The fifty led to a hundred; a hundred to a thousand. Pinkamena looked straight forward, the jawbreaker she purchased still dissolving in her mouth, having seen the army of rocks many times before. Living among rocks all her life did that to her.

She was still a little miffed that a group of smelly riffraff had been snatching food from the cart like simple popcorn. Had they not scrammed when she commanded them to, she was certain that her nasty side would have manifested. Luckily, just kicking one of them was enough to scare those sorry excuses for stallions off.

There was no doubt in her mind that they'd harass that Cheese fellow some more upon bumping into him. One look at his lanky build, need for glasses, and mellow demeanor told her that he was easy pickings. They wouldn't care if he was working or not; they'd pounce on him the moment he was alone.

It wasn't any of her business, anyway. He was just the event the gang was snacking on her cart for.

The rock farm came into view, and Pinkmena crushed her jawbreaker between her teeth. At least she had enough food for her family, who she could see rolling the rocks around. She quickened her pace to a trot, expecting her father to be at the least very annoyed that she had taken so long.

The road was getting bumpy now, and the rickety jerking from the cart was enough to prove it. She maneuvered the rock field easily, her hooves wrapped in an evasive dance as she looked forward. The shaking cart behind her bothered her little, and her only worry was whether or not the food would stay in.

Pinkamena saw her sister Limestone's head jerk up, and the gray-blue mare stared in her direction, blinking her wide eyes. She ran to her mother and tapped her on the withers, getting the older mare's attention and informing her of her pink daughter's return. Cloudy shouted at the others to inform them, and Igneous, Maud, and Marble paused their work, turning their heads in Pinkamena's direction.

Pinkamena pulled the cart until she was in front of the house. Once she had stopped, she unhitched herself, and walked to the side of the cart. Her family was now walking silently toward her, giving her the usual dull stares. She could see no trace of emotion so far, but she still expected a lecture from her father.

They stopped just short of her. Her sisters stared at her while her parents scrutinized the cart and its contents. They glanced between each of the dry goods, fruits, and vegetables, and took a deep whiff of the food. Instead of the usual satisfied snort, however, both Cloudy and Igneous pulled odd expressions, and turned to Pinkamena.

"Pinkamena…" Cloudy asked. "Do you mind telling us what that smell is?"

_Great,_ thought Pinkamena._ I carried the smell of the riffraff home._ With a sigh, she answered, "Ran into some trouble with a gang of stallions. They took some of the food before I was able to scare them off."

Igneous' eyes narrowed. "Did they try to flirt?"

Pinkamena wanted to shudder at that thought. Cortland trying to hit on her was bad enough, but at least he bathed and had a clean streak regarding the law. Besides, the gang was a little too busy picking on the gangly Cheese.

"No, I was too scary for them," she answered.

"Good," Igneous grumbled. "I don't want filth like that touching any of my daughters. Who raised those colts, anyway? I swear, if I had a son, I'd have him whipped into shape and showin' slimeballs like them what a real stallion is."

Pinkamena, Marble, and Limestone rolled their eyes, and Maud only blinked.

Igneous took notice of sand sticking to the wheels, and added, "And they better not have licked the wheels…"

"Igneous, calm down," Cloudy said, holding up a cabbage with a large bite mark in it. "I found the cabbage making that smell."

Igneous snorted, turned to Pinkamena, and said, "Young mare, what kind of negligence were you up to for some rowdy colts to steal some of our food, anyway? Did you stop to chat with the Apple stallion taking an interest in you?"

Pinkamena stood there, her dull yet sour expression unchanging. Yes, Cortland did come her way to chat, but that wasn't what distracted her. After all, she trained herself to ignore him when he began one of his bragging sessions. However, she didn't dare tell her parents about her stop at the candy shop. They might not allow her to visit it again if she did.

"Yes, Pa, he talked to me," she said simply. "It was a short conversation."

"But it was long enough for some food to get stolen!" Igneous snapped. "Had that conversation of yours gone on longer, the cart would have been emptied long before you noticed! You'd have to restock, and that would waste bits that we need to keep this farm running! Now, I do not want to hear any more about any conversations that you have with any stallion, and the next time you go to town, you do your job, and only your job! Do I make myself clear?"

Pinkamena blinked, and bobbed her head. "Yes, Pa."

"Well, then," Cloudy said, pulling a bag of flour from the cart. "Now that that discussion is over, let's get our groceries inside, and use the cart for hauling the rocks."

* * *

"Ohoho my! I never realized that you had such curly hair, Mr. Sandwich!" Sugar Glider chortled, attempting to brush her guest's mane.

"Well…" Cheese said. "Those curls just come naturally."

"Oh, I can tell." Sugar set the brush down and stood back. Cheese was completely dry from the bath he had received earlier, which had left him spot free. While his mane dried, he had taken the time to eat lunch and take a well overdue nap, and Sugar was more than happy to wash his poncho and clean his glasses while he did so. She didn't mind the break from manning the counter at the candy shop. Lemon Drop could handle the job alone, as he proved when she had first met him.

Now, she was taking a good look at the now clean, young stallion. His coat was brighter now that the dust was gone, and much of the weariness he had held had disappeared. His mane was a jungle, but the look quite suited him. And the glasses he wore were clear enough to expose the gradients in his brilliant chartreuse eyes. From what she could tell, he was presentable enough for any employer in town.

He smiled warmly at her. He opened his mouth to say something, but once he looked at his body, his face fell, and he fell back on his haunches. He covered his chest with his forelegs, and his hind legs covered below that area. His face turned beet red as he squeaked, "I feel naked."

Sugar chuckled. "I'm sorry, but your poncho is not dry yet."

"Can I wear something?"

"All the stallion clothing we have right now is a little big for you. Besides, it wasn't a big deal before. After all, not everypony wears clothes."

"I was tired earlier, Sugar Glider. I just… feel strange and wrong without my poncho… especially in front of a mare…"

"Well…" Sugar tapped her chin and left the room. When she returned, she tossed a blue rain poncho at him. She continued, "I know, I know, it's not raining today. But you only have to wear it until yours dries, which won't be too long."

Cheese blinked at her, and slipped the rain poncho on. "Thank you."

Sugar smiled warmly. "It's no problem. Come, let's talk in the living room."

Sugar trotted down the stairs, followed by Cheese. The pegasus sat on a comfortable-looking rocking chair, while Cheese sat on the couch. He watched as she fidgeted around, trying to get into a comfortable position with her bulging sides and her wings. He tried to imagine what it was like to be pregnant, and was thankful that as a stallion, he never would be.

Still, he didn't want Sugar to be uncomfortable, so he said, "Why don't you just sit on the couch?"

Sugar sighed and relented, taking her place on the other side of the couch. Once she got comfortable, her teal eyes looked up at Cheese, and she smiled at him.

"All righty then," she said. "Mr. Sandwich, what kind of job are you looking for in this town?"

Cheese shrugged. "I dunno. Anything's fine, really. Just something where I could earn enough bits to sustain me for a bit… and maybe a little extra to pay that pink mare for the vegetables that were stolen. Don't know how long it'd take, though…"

Sugar nodded. "I see."

"So… uh… are you and your husband hiring?"

Sugar frowned and shook her head. "I'm afraid not. We aren't in need of extra help, not to mention we're saving as much money as we can for our foal."

"Oh, okay. When are you due?"

"In a couple of months."

"Well… congratulations. I'll probably be staying long enough to meet the little one."

"Well, good, I like you, you're such a sweetheart."

"Oh… well…" Cheese turned red once again.

"Hehehe, okay, let's get back to business. You could walk around town and see who's hiring. Or check out one of the farms, see if some extra hooves are needed on them. Just past the produce stalls, the Apple family has an orchard of, well, apples—"

_The Apple family is everywhere,_ Cheese thought. Everywhere he went, there was a branch of the Apple family. Nearly every town he visited had an apple orchard owned by them, and he always had eaten at least one apple related food product by the time he left a town. He even remembered getting into a dispute with an Apple filly in Ponyville when he was a colt.

"—and on the other side of town, across the tracks and a ways away, the Pie family owns a rock farm."

A rock farm? Wait, didn't that pink mare say she lived on a rock farm? Cheese had no idea what a rock farm was for, or how anypony could grow rocks, but he figured he'd learn soon enough. After all, you learned something new each day.

"Wait a minute!" Sugar exclaimed, making him jump. "You said you were planning to earn a little extra to repay Pinkamena concerning the vegetables she lost."

"Uh, yeah?"

"Well, won't working at the rock farm be just as good?"

Cheese stared at Sugar's manic grin. He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it and turned away. Putting a hoof on his chin for thought, he supposed that working on that rock farm was something to be considered. It could be his way of paying for the lost produce and a method of saying thanks for helping him.

But would they even hire him?

* * *

Perhaps it was better off that the sky was overcast at the farm. The Pie family was outside all day, rolling rocks into piles, organized by the type of rock they were and their given hardness. The piles were loaded into the cart, where they'd be hauled either to another part of the field or the storehouse. Large boulders were either chipped away with Igneous' pickaxe, or split apart by the impressive strength of his daughters. Dust was clinging to their sweaty coats, and the familiar tightness of working muscles manifested in their legs.

Maud had reduced her boulder to mere rubble with a series of rapid blows from her front hooves. She picked one piece up, and sniffed it, humming in a dull, yet satisfied tone. She walked to the cart and tossed the fragment into it, mentioning to Limestone, who had been pulling, "This rock is satisfactory. I'll load the other pieces in."

Igneous was at work on his own boulder, steadily swinging his pickaxe against it to further the cracks that had formed. Seeing his oldest daughter effortlessly make her boulder crumble sent aches from his withers and flanks to his ankles, and weariness began to lay heavy on his back. His mind flashed back to his younger days, when he could do the same thing that Maud had just done. Now, the pickaxe in his mouth did his work for him, who hadn't been able to split boulders with his hooves since his daughters were just fillies. With a sigh, he continued to swing his tool against the rock.

Cloudy hauled some of the rock piles onto the cart as Maud loaded her rocks in. Cloudy kept track of the colors of each of the piles. Maud's rocks were a gray-blue color, while Cloudy loaded in rocks of gray, brown, and dull green.

Pinkamena and Marble dug around a half-buried boulder. Their hooves scraped up the dirt around it quickly, and could feel the ground gradually loosen its grip on the rock. The large stone wiggled slightly, almost as if it had been tickled by the two sisters. The wiggling gave way to a greater shuddering as the sisters dug deeper, and was soon loose enough for it to be lifted out of the newly dug hole.

"Okay, Marble, on three."

"Okay."

"One… two… THREE!"

Igneous, Cloudy, Maud, and Limestone watched as a spherical rock was launched out of the hole, landing just outside it with a great thud and then rolling a few feet away. A few moments of silence passed before a great shriek came from the hole, and Marble shot out of the hole, her mane standing on end and her tail bristled like an abused paintbrush. She landed on her hindquarters, a wild look in her violet eyes.

The other four rushed by her side, making inquiries of what happened and if she was all right. Marble only stammered gibberish and began to chew at her tail.

Pinkamena's deadpan voice came from the hole. "Don't worry, Marble. It's only dead."

Igneous' head shot up, and he hollered, "Pinkamena! What spooked Marble?"

"Just a bunch of bones."

Igneous blinked. "What kind?"

"They look like pony bones to me. Did a murder happen here or something?"

Igneous looked in the hole, and grimaced. "Land sakes… Pinkamena, climb out of there!"

Pinkamena did as she was told. Once she had climbed out, she took a brief glance back in it, and then set her blue eyes back on her father. She raised an eyebrow, wondering what the big deal about the bones was.

Maud took a step forward, peeked into the hole, and muttered in a dull voice, "That's disturbing."

"Well, I'm not looking!" Cloudy declared. "Let's take a break and drink some water. We'll give Marble time to recover, and then we take care of those bones."

Igneous bobbed his head in response. A water break would be nice.

* * *

Pinkamena had her muzzle in the trough, taking in water with deep gulps. When it came to the Pie family, they were a really thirsty bunch when they had a busy day. They didn't settle for drinks in simple glasses; they had to have a large container of water ready for them when it was time for a break. Igneous had built a large trough for his family, which they were free to drink out of when thirsty. None of them cared if their neighbors in town thought it was weird; they didn't understand how refreshing it was.

Igneous and Pinkamena had the same habit of sticking their muzzles into the water and guzzling, surrounded by their family members, who were taking gentler sips. The other four would finish and wait for the two to stop their gulping and come up for air.

Igneous did so first, but his sudden movement of rising his head brought on an audible crack and he was brought down to his front knees, exclaiming in a strained voice, "Oh, my back!"

Cloudy looked at her husband and sighed, "Not again."

Pinkamena's head rose from the trough, her chin dripping, and she stared with her half-lidded eyes and raised eyebrow. She watched as her mother performed a strange motion with her hooves that resulted in another crack and a relieved sigh from her father.

However, from the corner of her eye, she spotted something orange.

She tilted her head to get a better look, resulting in some of her hair dipping into the water. As it turned out, the orange thing she saw was that skinny stallion from before. He and his poncho were clean, the glasses were so clear she could see the color of his eyes from her spot, and his mane and tail had dried into two messes of dark brown curls, the most prominent of the curls being a single forelock just above his forehead.

_It's too early for him to pay for those vegetables,_ she thought. He shouldn't have earned enough in one day! And then her eyes widened in realization. _Unless…_

"Uh-um, excuse me?" the stallion called.

Igneous rose his head up and gave the stranger his best stone-faced stare. Cloudy, Marble, and Limestone looked at him curiously. Maud simply stared with her usual inexpressive face. And Pinkamena held a little frown and narrowed her eyes at him.

The orange pony cleared his throat, and asked, "Are you willing to hire an extra pony to work on your farm?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... the question of what in blazes a rock farm is for...
> 
> I've seen people suggest that they harvest gems and precious minerals and such that grow inside the rocks (makes sense in a magical land of ponies). Okay, it's a nice theory, though I'm thinking that perhaps the job of rock farmers is a bit versatile. Perhaps today they're collecting rocks for the town's souvenir shop! XD ...eh, I dunno. Thought I'd show off the girls' strength here.
> 
> The watering trough thing made sense to me for some reason... :/
> 
> Does Cheese even know what he's getting into?


	5. Interview

Having taken the colt inside the house, Igneous was concealing his surprise of somebody just waltzing onto the farm and asking for a job. Not many ponies came out here that often; after all, who would want to work on a rock farm? Only the desperate would crawl all the way out here begging to be employed. He could still remember the last pony who did that, and the complaining she did that had caused him such a migraine. He did not care one whit for her ruined reputation; he and his family just wanted her to work.

Igneous scanned the other stallion’s build. He could see that hardly any muscle was built on the legs; it was just enough that the fellow was still standing and could walk. He took a quick look at the Cutie Mark, and the hoofprints adorning that flank told him that this was most likely a drifter. It was peculiar to see one with glasses, though he couldn’t blame him for having poor eyesight.

Igneous led the visitor into the kitchen and sat down at the table. With a stony gaze, he ordered, “Sit.”  
When the other had done so, Igneous asked, “All right. What’s your name?”

“…it… it’s Cheese Sandwich.”

Igneous raised an eyebrow. “That’s a strange name.”

“…I know.”

“Hm. Well, let’s get this over with. Why are you asking to be hired?”

“Well…” Cheese forced himself to look Igneous in the eyes. He tapped the table with his hoof as he thought, sweat starting to form on his forehead. He took a deep breath, and answered, “It was a recommendation.”

“Really? From who?”

“The… candy shop owners?”

“Candy shop owners? I hardly know ‘em.”

“Oh… it’s just… that… well, they weren’t hiring…”

“Huh. And I assume everypony else in Nickerlite had no need for any extra hooves, correct?”

“Uh, yes.”

“Hmph. This place is always the last resort for employment,” Igneous muttered, mostly to himself. He took a deep breath and continued, “Are you absolutely sure you want to work here?”

Cheese pulled at his poncho’s neck hole and asked, “Well… what do you require?”

“Well, preferably a pony with ample strength and who doesn’t mind getting dirty, considering the nature of this job. But, honestly, I hire ponies who are desperate. As a drifter, as that Cutie Mark of yours implies, the dirt shouldn’t be a problem. I am concerned about those bones with sleeves you stand on, though. Have you ever done any heavy lifting?”

Cheese shook his head.

“No? Hm, then tell me what job experience you have.”

“Oh, boy… okay, just give me a sec…” Cheese leaned back and tapped his chin. Igneous stared at him as the younger stallion racked his brains for the needed information. The kitchen was quiet, save for Cheese’s mild humming.

Cheese looked at Igneous again and answered, “Okay, I’ve worked as a delivery boy, at some orchards, at a bakery, at some restaurants, at a post office, and a music store…” Cheese smiled fondly upon saying that last one. “Yeah, I’ve had a lot of jobs…”

“Hm, some restaurants? So, you can cook?”

“Well, I’ve cooked myself beans for years… but don’t let me bake! I might poison your family!” Cheese’s pupils shrunk to pinpoints, and he covered his mouth.

“Well, I won’t, thanks to your little ‘poison’ comment,” Igneous said. “I’m going to guess that your time at that bakery was brief.”

Cheese covered his eyes, and mumbled, “Sorry, sorry, sorry…”

“Quit apologizing. I’ve had my daughters working since they were fillies, and I’ve hired pegasi and unicorns in the past, so you might have a chance.”

Cheese raised his head and asked, “Well, how? You said so yourself, my legs are bones with sleeves! I can’t lift or break a boulder!”

“I don’t expect you to do those things. I’d start you off small, like moving the smaller rocks to another field, and sorting them through whether they’d have any valuable minerals, or just be good for the souvenir shop. And maybe I’d teach you how to use a pickaxe.”

“Well, yeah, I can do that, I guess. I have sorted mail…” Cheese mumbled. He shot an odd look at Igneous and asked, “What’s the catch?”

Igneous got out of his chair and walked to the window. Drawing the curtains open, he pointed outside and asked, “What do you see out there?”

Cheese got out of his chair and looked out. Blinking, he answered, “Rocks… rocks… rocks… your family moving those rocks… that pink one loading something from that hole into the cart…”

Igneous held a stony expression as Cheese answered. He listened for anything in Cheese’s voice that sounded remotely suggestive, and watched his gaze to see where his eyes were. So far, there seemed to be nothing that he could pick up.

Once Cheese had finished talking, Igneous said, “So… you’re here to earn money, right?”

Cheese looked at him quizzically and answered, “Right?”

“And not because somepony told you about the Pie mares?”

“I, uh, huh-da-wha?” Cheese glanced back and forth, blush appearing on his cheeks. “Uh, Mister, are you saying—”

“I don’t hire stallions very often, and I’m pretty sure you can guess why. I’m only thinking of hiring you because I pity you and want to put some kind of muscle in those sticks you call legs. However, most travelers I’ve met have bragged about all the lovers they’ve had, keeping some kind of score on how many hearts they’ve broken. I don’t want any of my daughters to fall prey to those wolves.”

Cheese’s face was completely red at that point. “Sir, I don’t think I’m all that attractive…”

“Don’t give me any manure about how you are ‘not that kind of stallion’! If anything, that phrase is suspicious.” Igneous took a sharp breath through his nose and said, “You asked what the catch is. The catch is that you don’t ogle any of my daughters, nor do you try to woo them. I’m already having problems with one stallion in town having eyes for one of them… I don’t need another. Under those terms will I hire you. Understand?”

Cheese was down on his haunches, cowering under the older pony. He could only nod in response.

“Good. You’ll be their temporary brother.” Igneous walked around Cheese and into the living room.

Cheese sat there, blinking in astonishment. “Uh, are you saying I’m hired?”

“Like I said, I pity you.”

“Um, yay?”

“Stand up. I’m getting my wife so we can discuss your pay and living arrangements.”

Cheese scrambled to his hooves and followed him. He was pointed to the couch, with the implication that he should wait there. So, he sat there, alone, for however long it would take for Igneous to return.

* * *

Pinkamena had gotten the last of the bones into the cart when she noticed her father walk out of the house. She leaned against the cart, watching as he fetched her mother, and they went back into the house. She groaned, the implications sinking in.

Maud was in the middle of sweeping some rocks into a pile with her tail when she heard the groan. Looking up with her usual dull stare, she asked, “What is it?”

“I think Pa pitied that colt.”

“So?”

“So he’s going to be working with us. Pa wouldn’t grab Ma if he didn’t hire that walking stick. Ugh, it’s going to be Trixie all over again, isn’t it? Or worse, since this is a stallion we’re talking about.”

Maud blinked, and said, “Don’t make such a big deal about it.”

Pinkamena sighed. “You know Pa rarely hires stallions.”

“I know.”

“Well, considering Cortland breathes down my neck every time I visit town, I can see his reasoning.”

“Don’t worry. I’m sure Pa scared our new employee.”

“Well, I’ll make sure to scare him even more if he tries anything funny.”

Maud stared for a moment before muttering, “Okay.”

Pinkamena looked at the bones in the cart. “I still wonder if a murder happened here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, it’s a short one. ^^;
> 
> So, back when I was first writing this on FF.net, someone suggested that I come up with a name for the town, and that it should be something rock or mineral related. I kinda wanted to combine it with a horse term as well. So, after some thinking and some research, I came up with the name Nickerlite, which combines niccolite and nicker. So, there you have it.
> 
> Also, I think Igneous hired Trixie out of some level of pity. :/


	6. Night of Settlin', Day of Work

The room was small and simple. There was a bed in the corner, with an old quilt laid over it, and a nightstand within hoof's reach of it, where an oil lamp stood. A small dresser stood against the wall opposite of the bed, a few books resting on top of it. The wooden planks making up the floor were smooth, and a single window graced the wall beside the bed. He could see the nearby forest from that window, which lay beyond several yards of gray and brown dust.

Cheese set his glasses case on the nightstand, sat on the bed, and idly glanced at each of the bare walls. Cloudy Quartz was standing at the door, giving him a minute to take in his surroundings. It wasn't much, but the Pie family at least made an effort to make it comfortable for guests.

Cheese took a deep whiff of the room. "It smells like woodchips in here."

"The room's made of wood," Cloudy said. "Did you expect it to smell like daisies?"

"Well, no, I just—sorry, but I really… um, I like that smell," Cheese stammered. "Uh, yeah, I like the smell of wood…"

"Good. You're sleeping in here."

"Yeah, I kinda got that idea when you brought me in here." Cheese glanced at the bed, and stroked the quilt he was sitting on. "This is a lovely quilt."

Cloudy tilted her head, surprised by the sudden comment. "My mother made it."

"Well, she's talented. It's beautiful and looks really comfortable."

Cloudy blinked, unsure of what to make of Cheese's compliment. Clearing her throat, she said, "Well… I'm sure she would've been flattered to hear that."

Cheese looked up and smiled warmly. As tempting as it was to respond to the smile, Cloudy couldn't let herself get sidetracked, and so kept a straight face as she said, "Get yourself settled in, Mr. Sandwich. I'm getting supper ready."

With that, she turned and walked out. Cheese stared out of the door for a few moments, and then turned his attention back to the quilt. The edges were lined with a tan fabric, and patches of muted blue, violet, pink, and white were sewn in an intricate flower pattern, providing color to a silvery background.

It had been a while since he had slept in a bed, and he was happy that he was to sleep on one under such a nice quilt.

* * *

Supper had been quiet. Quieter than he expected.

Nobody in the family seemed interested in the stories he could tell.

Usually he was given a barrage of questions about his travels and what kind of adventures he had. Usually they'd be asking how long he'd been doing this, and why he was so awkward compared to travelers in stories. And usually he was overwhelmed with the assumptions his employers and co-workers had of him, due to traveling around a lot. They always assumed that he had committed murder, or that he had wooed mares all over Equestria, though Cheese knew he couldn't kill someone or get romantically involved even if he tried. Igneous had made the latter assumption about him earlier, but it won't take long for him to see that none of his daughters would find Cheese attractive in any way.

Still, the lack of conversation unnerved him slightly. The family had simply sat at the table and ate their hay rolls and rock cakes, not speaking a word. Not even Pinkamena, who at least had an interesting event happen that day. Then again, she could have told her family about it earlier.

Then there was the fact that every time Pinkamena had looked at him, it was a glare. It bothered him greatly. Cheese had no idea what he did to warrant those glares, and it was hard to ignore those pretty eyes of hers.

Maud had ignored him the whole time, while Marble and Limestone had been curious about the new face at the table. They seemed like they wanted to ask questions, but they held their tongues. They just ate like the rest of the family.

Cheese himself had opted to break the silence, but he realized that it would have been awkward. He didn't know where to start for one thing. Another thing was that he felt it would be rude. He was also partially afraid that Pinkamena would have some sort of snide comment to whatever he said. So, he too held his tongue.

Night had fallen, and he lucked out on starting out on work right after being hired. Cheese expected to start the next morning, and he was already dreading the work ahead. He was hoping that his time on the rock farm would be worth the bits he needed.

In his room, he was laying on the floor, under the light of the lamp, flipping through the few books that had been on the dresser. Having discovered that they were all about rocks and minerals, he figured a little rock research would be a bit of help in rock farming. So far, he had discovered the use of rock farming: the harvesting of gems and ores that would be used for businesses, as well as collecting rocks for researchers, for construction, or to be sold as souvenirs. He had also discovered that rock farms are usually located in rock fields where magical energy was strong and seeping into the stones. It was strangely fascinating.

"Why are you stalking me?"

Cheese jerked his head up, finding Pinkamena standing in the doorway. Leaning against the door frame, she stared at him with her dry scowl, flicking her mane out of her face. He was drawn to her eyes again, pondering how their azure irises, which would fit perfectly with an innocent, curious soul, were part of such a stern mare.

"Well?" Pinkamena said.

Realizing that he stared again, he stood up and answered, "I, uh, didn't mean to imply that…"

"You implied it, all right."

"Ehehe… sorry…" Cheese rubbed his hooves and looked away. "Consider this my payment for those veggies you lost… and well, a little extension of my gratitude for driving those greasy thugs away from me…"

"Glad I didn't insult your stallion pride," Pinkamena deadpanned.

"What stallion pride?" Cheese retorted, laying back onto the floor and resuming his reading.

Pinkamena raised an eyebrow. Here before her laid the most pathetic pony she had ever met. No wonder her father pitied him.

Cheese sighed. "Look, Pinkamena, I'm sorry if I'm rubbing you the wrong way. I promised your father that I'm not up to any shenanigans involving you or your sisters… if you know what I mean."

"We wouldn't let you do anything like that."

"Something tells me you'll crush me if I even tried."

"Uh-huh."

"Don't worry. I'm just your temporary brother."

"Yeah… sure…"

Cheese groaned. He rubbed his eye and yawned, and then asked, "Say, didn't you say earlier that you didn't care whether or not I worked here? You seem to care an awful lot."

"I didn't think I'd see you again," Pinkamena answered. "Turns out I did. At least you bathed." She watched as Cheese's eye rubbing made his glasses slip off and fall on the book. "Shut the book and get into bed. We wake up early."

Pinkamena turned and walked out the door, shutting it behind her. Cheese put his glasses back on, and finished the page he was on before closing the book. He was in bed before long.

* * *

After he was given a rude awakening and eating a bland breakfast, Cheese Sandwich was not a happy pony. Pinkamena had warned him that the family woke up early, but that didn't really change anything. He figured it was going to be a long day.

He was sorting the rocks with Cloudy Quartz, while Igneous and the girls collected them from around the field. The piles were sorted by what their uses would be and if they were ready. A pile off to the side indicated that the rocks were not ready for harvesting, while a few other piles were for those that were. There were the rocks that contained ore to be extracted, the rocks that contained gems and had to be cracked open, the rocks for the souvenir shop, rocks for gravel, and rocks for building materials.

Cloudy sorted them with relative ease. Cheese, however, thought all the rocks looked the same. He couldn't tell which ones were "ripe", and which ones had to be taken back to the fields. He tried smelling the so-called ripeness, like Cloudy was doing, but he could not detect any smell from the rocks. Taking careful bites on the rocks didn't do anything for him either, except receive a scolding from Cloudy. Tapping the rock and trying to hear whatever he needed to hear was a moot point.

Cheese had been trying to sort his rock for an hour, trying everything he could, including a brief round of hacky sack with the small stone. The repeated bouncing of the rock with his hind leg earned an odd look from the matriarch of the Pie family.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

Cheese stopped his little game, dropping the rock. "Um… hacky sack?"

"Hacky-what?"

"Hacky sack. Where you take a little soft ball and keep it off the ground by repeatedly kicking it?"

Cloudy shook her head slowly, raising an eyebrow at this strange game. "It looks like tomfoolery to me. Don't do that with your rock, you'll hurt yourself. Sit back down and help me sort the rest."

Cheese sighed, picked his rock back up, and sat near the piles. He glared at the little stone, tempted to throw it out of sight and continue with the sorting. Of course, he'll run into the same problem with the next rock.

"Cloudy…" he pleaded. "Help!"

Cloudy glanced at him, and said, "That rock's going back to the field. It's not ready for anything, so we can't tell what its use is."

Cheese froze when he heard that, his eye twitching. He had wasted an hour, trying to solve the mystery of his rock, just to be told that it wasn't "ripe." His cheeks inflated, suppressing the scream that was raging within and trying to claw its way out of his mouth. His face was becoming redder and redder by the second.

"Oh, for the love of… BREATHE!" Cloudy said.

Out came the most embarrassing sound he had ever made. Neither he nor Cloudy could properly describe it, only that it was very strange, drawn out and loud. It was a sound no pony should ever naturally make, and it could not ever be duplicated. Time seemed to stand still as the sound came out of Cheese's mouth, and Cloudy had no idea what to make of it.

By the end of the strange loud sound, Cheese's face was red for a completely different reason. He bashfully looked at the stunned Cloudy and grinned sheepishly.

"I'm terribly sorry about that…" he squeaked.

Cloudy's stunned face fell into a dull stare. "Perhaps just collecting the rocks with Igneous would be better."

* * *

"So, that weird noise… it was you?" Marble drawled.

Cheese's face was still red from what had transpired between him and Cloudy. He was just glad to have swapped places with Pinkamena to avoid another hour of frustration caused by a rock. He had been told that with time, he might be able to tell what the rocks should each be used for, but Cheese had his doubts.

"Remind me never to make him angry," Limestone muttered.

"Ugh… you better not make that noise again, you colt," Igneous grumbled.

Cheese looked away and mumbled, "I most likely can't do it again."

Igneous was pulling the cart while his daughters and Cheese were picking up rocks and throwing them in. Marble and Limestone were expressing a significant amount of disbelief that a pony could make such a strange noise, Igenous was annoyed, and Maud didn't seem to care. She just did her job, though she stared at each rock she picked up and brushed dirt off of them before putting them in the cart.

Cheese smelled each rock, trying to detect some sort of difference between them. He had no luck so far, and continued following the Pies as they gathered each rock that was found in the field. From the smallest pebble to rocks nearly the size of a pony's head, they were gathering rocks left and right.

Then they came across a boulder, which towered over them and cast a great shadow for a good distance. The five stared at it for a grand total of five seconds before Maud said, "I got it."

She stepped forward, and scanned the rock top to bottom and left to right. She circled it once, in her slow and steady pace. Her father and sisters were patient, watching her study the rock. Cheese was bemused at what Maud was doing, and could only scratch his head as she made an orbit around the boulder.

Maud completed her circle, and with one swift movement, punched the rock with a loud _pow_ sound. She stepped back, and the cracks from the punch spread all over the boulder. The others backed up as well, sensing danger should they stay too close.

The cracks had spread inward, and soon the boulder began to crumble. Pebbles fell from the top and the bottom, and rolled down the hill of rubble that was forming. The loud rumbling of the dismantling rock was great, but only Cheese reacted to it. The mini-avalanche spread some pebbles near the hooves of the ponies, stopping short of hitting them. And then, as surely as it began, the little rockslide had stopped, and the boulder was no more. The Pies remained stoic, while Cheese gaped at the sight, his jaw having dropped.

He turned to Maud. "H-how… how did—how did you do that?!"

Maud blinked and answered, "I punched it."

Cheese looked at the stocky legs of the Pies, and then at his own lanky legs. They started aching at the thought of him punching a rock, and failing to even make a mark on what he punched. Given that they've been doing this for years, it shouldn't be a surprise that they were so strong. That still didn't keep him from being so shocked to see said strength in action.

He shuddered at the thought of what Pinkamena could have done to that stallion gang, but chose not to. All she had done was kick one of them, and that scared them off. There was no need to go further.

"Cheese, stop daydreaming," Igneous growled. "We still have work to do."

Cheese shook his head, and murmured, "R-right."

As he walked with the others, the conversation he had with Pinkamena the night before came to mind. He could remember a single thing that Pinkamena had said.

_"Glad I didn't insult your stallion pride."_

With a sigh, he mumbled, "What stallion pride?"


	7. Thoughtful Rest

After a long day involving rock hauling, rock sorting, and rock smashing, the Pie family and Cheese went in for supper. It was once again awkwardly silent, and everybody just ate their meal before moving on to the living room.

Even then, everypony just picked up a book and began to read. The only exception was Maud, who took some paper and a pencil, lay down on the floor, and began to write something. As curious as he was about what she was writing, Cheese decided it was best to leave her be.

He wasn't really interested in the book he was reading. He didn't even understand what was going on. He couldn't tell why Honeybee Rose was whining over why Blazing Silver wouldn't pay attention to her, or why Cremello was putting up with her whining. Who were these characters? The magnitude of whining on the first page made him cringe, and he quickly shut the book—apparently titled "The Rose of Blood Bay"—and switched it with a different book. His new book turned out to be a dictionary.

He opened it up, figuring that he'd learn a few new words. Of course, the words he found were those he already knew, or those that he'd never use in his vocabulary. It wasn't long before he shut the book and headed for the door.

Cloudy looked up from her book. "Where are you going?"

As Cheese opened the door, he answered, "Just going out for some fresh air."

Limestone looked up from her book as well and said, "We've been outside all day."

"Yeah, you got plenty of fresh air," Marble added.

Cheese glanced at the mares who spoke and said, "I just want to feel the evening air and watch the sunset."

He shut the door behind him, and took a deep breath. The air felt fresher in the evening than in the daytime, and it was cool to the skin under his coat. Stepping out into the dusty yard, he could only hear his soft footsteps in the dirt. Though both inside and outside were silent, the yard's silence was a tranquil one, inviting a soul to enjoy the lovely evening.

He stopped at the fence and leaned against it, gazing at the orange and pink light that made up the sunset. The warm colors merged with the navy blue sky above him, which had the first glimmer of stars appearing.

"If I ever get the chance, I'll have to thank Princess Luna for such a beautiful night," Cheese mumbled.

His gaze fell to the rock field, and his smile faded. His forelegs ached just looking at those rocks, and he thought of the boulder that Maud had shattered. She had made it look so simple, and that single punch would put many well-built stallions to shame.

And then there was Cheese Sandwich. Ungraciously given the nickname of Toothpick by a group of thugs, told he was not built for rock farming by Pinkamena, and only having been hired out of pity, the stallion was feeling down. If he could just trade his life for another, he'd do so in a heartbeat. A special talent that was not wandering Equestria and working odd jobs here and there would be nice.

But those hoofprints on his flank were permanent.

He heard a lonely wolf howl in the distance. A soft breeze caressed his cheek, and he continued to stare at the rocks. Those dull and lifeless rocks, which looked black in the dim landscape.

He wondered what it was like to have the strength that the Pie family possessed, and tried to imagine his body with muscles. However, the mental image of beefed-up Cheese Sandwich looked downright ridiculous, with muscles that were big and solid to unrealistic proportions, a thick neck, and a completely dopey look on his face.

He cringed at the thought. Why couldn't he imagine a less exaggerated muscled version of himself?

A yawn came out of his mouth, and he decided to return to the house.

* * *

Pinkamena flipped through the pages of the encyclopedia, only stopping when she found a picture of someplace new. She couldn't help but gaze at the places beyond the rock farm and Nickerlite, reminding her of how big the world was. Photos of Manehattan, Fillydelphia, Canterlot, and countless other cities had her fascination, and she wondered what it was like to live in one of those cities.

She was staring at a picture of Cloudsdale, the city in the sky. She proceeded to read about the pegasi-dominated city, and found herself fascinated by the weather factory among other things. She even liked the idea of ponies who could sit on clouds.

As she read, she imagined herself with wings, soaring above Equestria and taking in the amazing view. She imagined what Cloudsdale must be like, how the weather was made, and what clouds felt like. Her mind switching to other places, she determined that if she was a pegasus, she'd fly to every corner of the world.

The door opened, and Pinkamena peeked over her book, watching Cheese Sandwich walk in.

"I thought you ditched us," she said dryly.

Cheese closed the door and answered, "Uh, no." He glanced around before asking, "Did the others go to bed?"

Pinkamena hadn't even noticed that the rest of her family had left the room. She shrugged and said, "Most likely."

"Oh, okay. Whatcha reading?"

"Encyclopedia. Why?"

"Just curious, that's all." Cheese walked past her and toward the stairs. Pinkamena was glad that he didn't press the matter further, because she really didn't want to go into why she was reading about Cloudsdale.

As Cheese made his way up the stairs, he said, "I'm going to hit the hay. Good night."

Pinkamena didn't reply, and went back into both her book and her fantasy.

* * *

When Cheese walked into his room, he was surprised to find Marble and Limestone in there. They were lying on the floor, reading the rock books. He stood there, staring at the two girls awkwardly, his mind drawing a blank as to any reason they'd be in here.

"Um… excuse me?" he asked.

Both of them looked up, with Marble tilting her head and Limestone rapidly blinking. Now that he had their attention, he continued, "What are you doing in here?"

The two mares glanced at each other, and Marble answered, "Reading."

Cheese raised an eyebrow. "Weren't you doing that downstairs?"

Limestone rolled her eyes. "We were also waiting for you."

Cheese blinked and put a hoof on his chest. "Me? Uh, why?"

"We've been wanting to ask some questions."

"Oh, uh, what kind of questions?"

Both girls sat up onto their haunches. "You've travelled a lot," Marble said. "So, we thought you'd have some stories to tell."

Cheese walked past them and sat on his bed. "Yeah, I do have a few. Did you come here to hear one?"

Both of them nodded. Seeing the curiosity that gleamed in their eyes, he smiled. It couldn't hurt just to tell them about the crazy adventures he had. After all, there were plenty that were gems in his eyes, and he couldn't help but chuckle at them. He'll have to start out with just one tonight.

"All right, little fillies," he said. "Let me tell you about my first job…"

* * *

Pinkamena shoved the encyclopedia back onto the shelf, and suppressed a yawn. She muttered under her breath as she went around the room, making everything ready for the night. All lights in the living room were quickly turned off, and the doors were locked. She made one final sweep of the dark room before making her way up the stairs.

She reached the top of the stairs, and that's when she heard Cheese's voice in a wistful monologue. Having heard him say earlier that he was going to bed, she wondered what he was doing up, and why he was talking. She headed to the door, ready to kick it open and scold him, but then she heard one of her sisters ask a question, and another interject with a comment of her own.

"They really used those burnt muffins as charcoal?"

"Wow, they must have been bad."

That answered the question of why Cheese was up, but brought up another: Why were Marble and Limestone in there?

"Yeah… I learned that day that baking was not my special talent. They made me serve for the rest of my time there, and well… sometimes I found the patrons kind of scary. I nearly had a heart attack when some of the big stallions in town all marched in at the same time! Nearly half of them were in a bad mood, and there I was, a little colt, frozen in place and expecting to get squashed like a bug."

_You still could get squashed like a bug,_ Pinkamena thought, shaking her head. How did that stallion manage to survive on his own for such a long time?

"And as I feared, they got into a fight, with curses spewing out of their mouths and punches and kicks flaying like mad. I was panicking, and without thinking, I threw the cake I was carrying at them. They turned to me, ready to kill me, but they softened when they realized I was just a scared colt. They quickly excused themselves after that… and if I recall correctly, they were banned from the bakery."

There was a pause, and Pinkamena could hear Cheese draw another breath.

"Well, I left after a few months because… because it didn't feel right for me. My employers were very understanding, and they wished me luck in finding out who I am. So, I travelled all Equestria, searching for my purpose in life…"

A few more moments of silence, and Cheese yawned. "Okay, girls, I've got to get to sleep. You know, long work day tomorrow."

"Yeah," both Limestone and Marble muttered.

Pinkamena heard their hoofsteps heading for the door, and she quickly headed to the room she shared with them and Maud. She jumped into her bed and slid under the covers, glancing at the door. Not long after, the two mares walked into the room, muttered "G'night" to each other, and headed for their beds. Neither of them noticed that Pinkamena was awake.

She lay flat on her back and stared at the ceiling. Hearing part of Cheese's story piqued her curiosity, and part of her wanted to ask him what the places he travelled to were like. Asking him about Cloudsdale was out of the question, but maybe asking him about a place like Manehattan could elicit an answer.

She groaned. Why did she even care? Why would she even bother asking a pony who couldn't even put up a decent fight? Why should she pry into his life when he wasn't worth the attention?

Of course, this pony had been travelling since he was a little colt. He had to be doing something right for him to even make it to adulthood on his own. Besides, Limestone and Marble were genuinely curious about whatever adventures he had, and at least he was pleasant about his answers.

Not to mention his voice was better-sounding than Trixie's was during her stay. _Much_ better-sounding, for it was a cool and deep voice when he wasn't a nervous wreck. Pinkamena certainly wouldn't mind hearing that voice some more, especially at a time where he was comfortable and could talk smoothly.

Her eyelids grew heavy, and she closed them for the night.

* * *

Usually when he was telling a story, the ponies he stayed with had warm smiles on their faces. Those smiles usually made him comfortable and lessened his tension. As long as there was no silent judging that he could sense, he'd be all right. He could tell his story smoothly, though not without a few stutters. Perhaps that was why it was starting to bother Cheese that neither Marble nor Limestone had smiled during his story.

Then again, nobody on this farm had smiled at all during his stay.

Still, he could tell that the two mares were interested in what stories he had to tell. They had commentary, they listened to him, and he could see the interest in their eyes. He had noticed it from them the day before, and he suspected that they would return for another story the next day.

Still, no smiling? That was peculiar.

He lay on his bed, in the dark, staring toward the ceiling, though all he could see was a dark blue blur. With a yawn, he thought that perhaps he was thinking too much into it. Considering that they worked with rocks, he couldn't blame them for being so grumpy. And as far he could tell, the family seemed content.

For now, he was just glad to be in bed. But he was dreading the days to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I have to give Weird Al props for the vocal range that was present in Cheese. We have his serious, gruff voice going with the cowboy persona; his higher, happy voice for the super duper party pony; and the more smooth kind of voice that's kind of in between the previous two. The guy’s got talent, I won’t deny that.
> 
> Sorry for the lack of a funny misadventure in this one. XP


	8. Trespassers

The next couple of weeks were a couple of the longest of Cheese's life. Rocks were being moved, crushed, and sorted all day, every day. The "unripe" rocks both had to be hauled from one field to the next, and rolled out into even rows. Either Igneous or one of his daughters would do the hauling, while the rest rolled the rocks into their spaces. The small rocks were rolled along with their muzzles, until a nice spot was found so that the rock could ripen.

Cheese's neck often ached from bending down and rolling the rocks, and his legs hurt from lifting some of the larger ones into the cart. Each day found him soaked in sweat, covered in dust, and really thirsty. Every chance he had, he dunked his head into the watering trough, guzzling the water, to the point of attempting to breathe in it. He always shot right back up, coughing up a storm. Quite a few times, he forgot to take off his glasses before his drink, so he'd have to fish them out of the trough.

The Pies' noses told them that a lot of gems were growing in the rocks this season. Cheese still didn't quite understand the smells of each rock (if anything, they all smelled the same to him), so he took their word for it. Of course, he noticed that they seemed a bit more wary of… something, he didn't know what.

Though he ached when the day was done and dinner was still too quiet, he was happy when Marble and Limestone came in just before bed, ready to listen to a story. Cheese had many stories to share, and though neither girl smiled, he could tell that they were fascinated by his adventures. They gasped at the story of how the Santa Hooves in Canterlot tried to kill him, wrinkled their noses upon hearing of the time he was pelted with jellyfish, and were wide-eyed when he told of his encounter with vampire fruit bats.

What he didn't know was that Pinkamena was just as interested in the stories. She was just unwilling to let anypony know that, so she simply eavesdropped from behind the door, slipping away when somepony—inside or outside the room—was coming.

That was the routine, aside from housework, cooking, and collecting firewood. Cheese figured that each day would be this tedious, with the only exception being his tales told to two of the Pie sisters.

This morning, however, heralded something a little different, as he was startled awake by loud, colorful language coming from Igneous Rock outside. The scene consisted of the skinny stallion stumbling out of bed, getting his hind leg tangled in the quilt, and hitting his head on the floor. Stars twinkled around his head as the world spun, and Igneous' curses were garbled in his ears, mixing with rapid hoofsteps outside his door.

His door was kicked open by Pinkamena. She found her grandmother's quilt wrapped around the leg of a dazed Cheese Sandwich, blinking his eyes one at a time and laying down like a dog wanting a belly rub. She stepped closer, sighing in exasperation, as she had to untangle him.

As she freed his leg, Cheese sputtered, "Squid hat is going to the hardware store…"

"No, you're not," Pinkamena replied.

"But I don't know what I'm singing!"

* * *

Igneous was storming out of the barn when the others had come outside. His loud curses had decreased in volume to just under his breath, but the way he chomped at his strand of wheat indicated that he hadn't completely cooled down. Cloudy and the girls kept their distance, and Cheese was wise to take the unspoken advice.

Igneous looked up at them with a furrowed brow and tight lips. Nopony flinched, although Cheese had glanced in a different direction to avoid his gaze. All braced themselves for whatever Igneous had to say.

"Somepony…" Igneous growled, flaring his nostrils. "…broke into the barn, stole our rocks, popped the wheels off our cart, and snapped every tool we have into pieces!"

Only Maud remained passive as the others were wide-eyed. They took a brief glance at the door, where a broken lock was hanging. Igneous pointed inside the barn, saying with gritted teeth, "Take a look if you don't believe me."

The group went in, and sure enough, all that was in there was a pile of broken tools and the de-wheeled cart. The pickaxes, the hammers, the chisels, as well as many others, were reduced to scrap metal and splinters, and bent nails and screws littered the ground around them.

"Oh, my…" Cloudy whispered.

Igneous snorted, and ordered, "Maud, Pinkamena, get your bags. We're going to town to replace these tools. The rest of you watch the farm while we're gone." Igneous looked at Cheese and said, "Your payment's going to have to wait. We need the money to replace what's been damaged."

Cheese nodded. "I understand."

As the others made their way back to the house, Cheese stared at the pile, wondering who in Equestria would break into a barn just to vandalize property and steal a bunch of rocks. It wasn't as if the Pie family had any enemies, right?

* * *

Once Igneous, Maud, and Pinkamena had left, the remaining four walked in the rock fields, checking to make sure the rocks hadn't been disturbed and if any had ripened. The girls bent down and sniffed, and would move on to the next one, instinctively tossing a ripe rock into their saddlebags and bypassing the unripe ones. Cheese smelled the rocks as well, still finding that they all smelled the same to him.

He sighed. _What kind of scent am I supposed to detect anyway?_

He plodded behind the girls, who continued checking each rock one by one. He could hear each snort and nicker they made, and they kept a steady pace as they collected ripe rocks. As he watched them, he wondered why he had bothered to come along when he was near useless at this task.

Marble glanced at him, stopped, and then backed up until she was right beside him. Now walking at his pace, she said to him, "You know, you could just tell another one of your stories."

Cheese looked at her. "Huh?"

Limestone backed up to join them, and added, "Yeah, you can pass the time with one of your tales."

"Uh, now? But, your mother is right there."

"We know that. Who's to say she'll disapprove of you recounting one of those adventures you've had?"

Cloudy stopped in her tracks and gave the girls an odd look. "Marble? Limestone? What the hay are you talking about?"

"Ma, Cheese is a traveler," Marble said. "He's been wandering Equestria since he was a colt, and has had plenty of adventures, and you know that adventures make great stories."

Cloudy huffed. "I bet they're tall tales."

"Oh, Ma," Limestone drawled. "I'm sure you've heard that real life is stranger than fiction."

"Then I suppose he has encountered weather that literally rained cats and dogs."

Cheese raised an eyebrow. "Uh, no. Unless pegasi sucked them up in a tornado and sent them to their weather factory to be put in clouds, I don't think we'll see any cat and dog weather."

"Huh." Cloudy sniffed another rock, and threw it into her bag. "You've been travelling since you were a colt, Mr. Sandwich? Why didn't your parents try to stop you?"

Cheese felt a chill grip his heart and he was frozen in his tracks. The pangs of loneliness that had hit him in his colthood were hitting him again, and he heard steady tick-tocks echoing in his head. He felt like he was sinking, and that cinderblocks were glued to his hooves. He squeezed his eyes shut and turned away from the girls, a deep shame swelling within him.

Marble tapped him on his withers. "Hey… you all right?"

Cheese took a deep breath, and let it out in a long exhale. "…I'll be fine."

That's when they heard the sound of a small collapse. There was the crumble of dirt, the hissing of sliding sand, and a comical pop as if a gopher had emerged. A couple more pops followed, prompting each pony in the small group to whirl around to face whatever had come.

Three large and dirty creatures had emerged from the hole, looking around the field with their backs turned to the ponies. Their fur colors were all muted grays and browns, and they wore vests of faded maroon, dark gray, and tan. From where the ponies stood, they could hear snickers.

"Ooo-hoo hoo! It looks like they left the farm to replace those tools!" one of them said.

"Getting Hank to help this season was genius! Genius I say!" another replied.

"Ehehe, I smell a lovely assortment of gems in this field, and we shall collect before they return!" the third said.

As the creatures crawled out of their hole, all the ponies adopted glares toward the trespassers. Cloudy stepped forward and loudly cleared her throat. The ears of the creatures twitched, and they spun around to meet the glares of the ponies. The Pies and Cheese could now see that they had canine features, though with flatter faces and bugged-out eyes compared to domesticated dogs. The eyes were especially larger with the realization that they were not alone.

"Buddy, Rider, Bailey… haven't seen you three in a while," Cloudy said, clearly unenthused. "Are you here to steal our rocks again or kidnap one of my daughters?"

The trio swept their eyes across the group, noting the presence of the mother and two of the Pie girls, as well as the absence of the father and the other two. They all looked at Cheese, and one of them pointed at him.

"Can we kidnap the tall mare?"

Cheese flushed red instantly, out of a mixture of embarrassment and irritation. _Do I even look like a mare?_ he thought. This was the first time he had been confused for the wrong gender, and he sure did not want it to happen again.

Cloudy shook her head. "You're not very bright, are you?"

The tallest one stomped forward, growling at her. "You's saying we're not smart?"

"Yes, and I'm going to ask you to leave."

"What if we don't want to?"

Cloudy glanced at Limestone and Marble, and then resumed speaking to the dog. "I don't have to remind you how strong rock farmers are, do I? Even with Igneous, Maud, and Pinkamena absent, we can still drive you off."

"Even that thin one?"

She glanced at Cheese, who was utterly confused at the situation at hoof, but still clearly miffed at being called a mare. Slightly unsure, she said, "You willing to find out?"

The other two hopped forward, giggling like mad. The tallest laughed and said, "Come on, Cloudy. We've been working out, and we could outnumber you in a jiffy! Ya sure you can chase us away without your three strongest family members?"

Without missing a beat, Cloudy answered, "Yes, I'm sure. Because after all…"She started to stamp on the ground with her front hoof, as did her daughters. "…you're still outmatched."

* * *

Igneous, Maud, and Pinkamena walked into town, all three of them carrying empty saddlebags. With the cart broken and the tools needed to fix it severely damaged, they had to carry everything themselves once the tools were replaced. They made their way through the streets of Nickerlite, searching for the shop to replace them.

It was not long before they heard catcalls.

"Hey, lookit that mare!"

"'Ey, beautiful, where ya goin'?!"

"Hoo hoo hoo, shy aren't we?"

At first the remarks were ignored, due to the trio assuming they weren't made toward either of the girls. However, Pinkamena soon noticed some of the comments were getting a little specific.

"Hey, we can't see your flank under that dress!"

"What's your Cutie Mark, Miss Gray?"

"What's with that dull face? Come on, lady, smile!"

She lifted herself up on the tips of her hooves in order to look over her father, and see who was hollering and at whom. Much to her chagrin, it was those same thugs who raided the cart and harassed Cheese a couple weeks prior. And they were catcalling her sister.

She slowed her pace a little, letting Igneous and Maud walk ahead of her, and she wasted no time in glaring at the stallions and stomping her hoof hard on the ground. Once the group noticed her, the colors drained from their bodies. Pinkamena's stomp sounded like a sonic boom in their ears, and they sped off in a speed that seemed impossible.

Pinkamena snorted, and went to catch up with her father and sister. Of course, she was soon flanked by a familiar and unwelcome stallion.

"Well, howdy, Pinkie," Cortland drawled, putting a foreleg around her withers.

Pinkamena scowled and pushed the foreleg away. "Don't call me that."

"Why not? 'Pinkamena' is such a mouthful and it don't roll off the tongue. Besides, Pinkie is the nickname that fits yer cute li'l doll face."

"I don't have time for this."

"Why?"

"None of your business."

Cortland placed a hoof on his chest. "Of course it's mah business! Yer mah little beau, Pinkie."

Pinkamena glared at him. "No, I'm not. I never agreed to it."

"Oh? But the town's talkin' 'bout us."

"Did you start the rumor?"

"What gave ya that idea, Pinkie?"

"The fact that you're still persisting in that fantasy of yours. Now, go away, leave me to my own business, and stop calling me 'Pinkie.' I'm not interested in your courtship."

"But—"

Maud backed up between them, and ordered with a slightly raised voice, "Leave. She has made her disinterest clear."

Cortland blinked, narrowed his eyes and turned around. As he left, both girls heard him grumbling under his breath, presumably about how Pinkamena was a blind mare. After a few seconds of watching his departure, Maud turned to her younger sister.

Pinkamena breathed a sigh of relief and said, "It's so nice to have a second opinion on that subject. That colt drives me up a wall."

Maud put a hoof on Pinkamena's back, and said, "He's gone now. Come on, let's catch up with Pa."

* * *

Meanwhile, the girls back home were putting up a fight against the trio of dogs. And so far, it seemed like the Pie mares had the upper hoof.

Cloudy Quartz was dealing with Buddy, the tall, dark gray one wearing the maroon vest. Though she was going on in years, she was tough enough to pin Buddy down with little effort. No matter how much the dog squirmed, he could not escape the single hoof pinning him to the ground. To add insult to injury, Cloudy was giving him a good spanking.

Marble Pie was up against Rider, the dark brown one wearing the tan vest. She somehow ended up riding him like a bull in a rodeo, only she also had to avoid the snaps of the dog's jaws and the occasion paw trying to grab her. Every chance she got, she'd deliver a swift kick to Rider's back, eliciting a pained yelp from the pooch.

Limestone Pie was fighting Bailey, the short, tan one wearing the dark gray vest. She had him in a headlock and was pinning him down to the ground, aggressively rubbing the top of his head with her free hoof. The dog's limbs flailed and the body wiggled, desperately trying to break free from the blue-gray mare's tight grasp.

Cheese sat on the sidelines, guarding their saddlebags. He watched the girls kick the dogs' butts seven ways to Sunday, and shook his head. Those mutts should have listened to Cloudy when she told them to leave. But instead they had to pick a fight with half of the Pie sisters and their mother, and odds turned out to be against the dogs. Cheese stayed out of it, figuring he would just get in the way.

He was glad for a break in the tedium. The past two weeks had become a predictable routine, and the lack of smiles had gotten on his nerves. Who would have thought that a dog raid would keep him from going crazy with boredom?

The spectacle before him was so entertaining that he wished he had popcorn. He knew that this was going to be a story worth telling in the future.

Cloudy was playing the role of a strict mother towards Buddy, with sharp scolding and whooping his behind with her bare hoof. When the dog had finally managed to slip away, he was quickly recaptured, and swatted with a branch that the older mare had picked from one of the bare trees.

Marble had now switched positions with Rider, who didn't take well to the wild bucking that she was doing. In fact, he looked as if he was going to throw up as he was being thrown around. He was clinging to her hair for dear life, screaming his lungs out. It wasn't long before Marble threw him off, and she jumped onto him for a good old-fashioned wrestle.

And Limestone still noogied Bailey like crazy.

Still, he had that gnawing suspicion that things were going a little too easy in favor of the Pies. For one thing, where was that backup they claimed to have?

That's when all three of the dogs howled simultaneously.

The howls echoed around the valley, and all was suddenly still. Cloudy and Limestone still had their dogs pinned down, and Marble had just wrestled hers down. Holding their opponents, their faces indicated dread.

Cheese himself felt a knot twist in his stomach, and though he was unsure what was going to happen, he was wishing it wouldn't happen.

Sure enough, there was great rumble behind him, and the sound of something large bursting out of the ground boomed in his eardrums. It was raining large clumps of dirt and rocks, and the girls let go of the dogs to avoid getting hit by the falling earth. Cheese still sat in his place, covering his head with his hooves.

After several moments, the soil stopped falling. He looked up, and could see that the Diamond Dogs were snickering, and the Pie mares were gaping at something above him. Cheese could feel hot breaths and a slimy liquid going down his neck, and it made his blood run cold. He looked above him, and beheld the largest and ugliest dog he had ever seen. Cheese turned himself around, and saw that the dog was twice his height and covered in splotches of darker and lighter grays. It didn't help that there was practically a waterfall of drool coming out of the mutt's mouth.

Buddy laughed and shouted, "Folks, lemme introduce ya to Hank!"

The wide-eyed Cheese lifted up a hoof and mildly waved, muttering, "Hi, Hank."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You'd think a rock farm would not have any pests. Well, maybe in seasons where gems are aplenty do the Diamond Dogs come… I assume that just outside of Ponyville's not the only place where you find those brutes.
> 
> Also, I named those mutts after dogs that my family has owned (current dog is Bailey). Funny thing is, Hank was a puppy that we never got to see grow up (Mom got fed up with him and sold him), and our Bailey is a girl while the Bailey in this is a boy.
> 
> On a side note… more obvious references. I should be ashamed… XP


	9. Doggone It

Lemon Drop was wiping the shelves when he heard the jingling of the bell, heavy hooves with smaller ones walking in, and his wife's sweet voice greeting the customer. He smiled as his angel made conversation with the father of the foals that were fixing to satisfy their sweet tooth.

"Morning, Mr. Haralson," Sugar Glider said. "How's your wife?"

"Howdy," Haralson replied. "She's as fit as a fiddle and ready to wrassle a minotaur."

"Oh, good, I was getting worried. I thought that dreaded illness would claim her. How about your older son?"

"Cortland? Well… he's healthy, but still tryin' to woo that Pie mare."

No one needed to ask which Pie mare. Lemon shook his head and continued to wipe, content to let Sugar continue the conversation, and hopefully avoid a discussion on the whole rumor of Pinkamena being Cortland's beau. He and Sugar knew that the pink member of the Pie family would never agree to it.

"I see… wow, Stayman and Idared are getting big!"

"Eeyup, and they're gettin' stronger. Them kids bucked a few apples outta th' big one."

"Ooh. And how do those two feel about that accomplishment?"

A little filly chirped, "Ah feel like a bear catching his first fish!"

She was followed by her brother saying, "Ah feel as strong as Pa!"

Stealing a glance at the foals, both light green with strawberry blonde manes, Lemon couldn't suppress his delighted chuckle. His eyes went back to Sugar—more specifically, the bulge their foal was occupying. He couldn't wait to feel the pride for his foal that Haralson held for his own.

"Are ya choosing the caramel again?" Haralson asked the two.

They nodded, and Sugar was happy to give them the two tidbits, which Haralson paid for and the foals happily gobbled up. Then they climbed onto their father's back, and the colt was pulling at the blonde mane in front of him. Though Haralson grimaced at each tug, he chuckled. Glancing out the window, he saw Igneous Rock and two of his daughters pass by the window.

"Ah haven't really socialized with the Pies in a while…"

"Excuse me?" Sugar asked.

"The Pies. Ah haven't really talked with Igneous since his family helped out with the Parasprite invasion, and that was back when Cortland was a little colt. The most we've talked since that day was when he'd buy a couple of apples every now and then."

"What are you saying?" Lemon asked, taking his place next to his wife.

"Ah dunno, ah guess ah could invite the Pies ta dinner or somethin'."

Lemon scratched his head, ruffling his light brown mane in the process. "You could… although there's that rumor floating 'round town."

"What rumor?" the colt asked, tugging on his sister's pigtail. Haralson swatted the colt's hoof and glared at him. Then he turned back to Lemon to hear the answer.

"The rumor of Pinkamena being Cortland's beau."

The foals winced as their father yelled, "…now who dun started that rumor?!"

"I dunno."

"Ugh, them morons will believe anything," Haralson grumbled. "Ah've seen her, and she don't care for mah son that much. Ah'll talk with Igneous 'bout this and he and ah will find the darn fool and set 'em straight!"

The two foals looked at each other as their father stormed out of the shop with them in tow. Lemon and Sugar simply stared at the door for a few moments, pursing their lips.

Finally, Lemon stated, "He's right that Pinkamena is not thrilled to be pursued by Cortland."

Sugar sighed. "Cortland really should understand he's just not her type."

Lemon quirked an eyebrow. "Does she even have a type?"

Sugar shrugged in response.

* * *

Cheese rolled out of the way of one of Hank's giant paws, and he heard it slam in the dirt beside him. His heart pounded as the other paw fell toward him, and he leaped forward before it crushed him. A fist swung his way, and he ducked before it could hit him. Another fist came, and this time he jumped back, finding himself looking up at the mangled face of the dog he was facing.

_The biggest one,_ he thought._ I just had to end up fighting the biggest one. Ugh, this is worse than the Santa Hooves incident!_

Hank smirked, and started to snort in a prolonged manner. A disgusting slosh was heard in the mutt's mouth before he spit at Cheese.

An alarmed Cheese jumped out of the way, but to his misfortune, the spit got his tail. When he landed from his jump, he looked back at the hair of his tail tangled up in dog spit. Seeing it drip in long stretches, he pulled a face and muttered, "Ewww…"

And then he had to run again as Hank pounded his chest like a gorilla and attempted to hit him again, whether by fist or open paw. The slamming of each paw behind him held a slow rhythm, and spooked him even more with each impact.

_Boom._

_Boom._

_Boom._

Another one had him springing forward, and as he landed, he nearly tripped on a rock. He caught himself and tried to stop, only to slide on all four hooves and hope he wouldn't trip on another rock.

He skidded to a stop, breathing heavily as he tried to process something other than fear in his mind. A paw aiming for him swiped, and he stumbled back as the claws barely missed his muzzle by inches. He landed on his rump, which unfortunately took a seat on a rock. The sharp pain made him yelp and jump back onto his hooves, and he was smacked away by the large paw.

He flew several feet before slamming into the ground and rolling in the dust. The roll was a bumpy ride in the rock field that was sure to give him cuts and bruises. Hank's saliva on Cheese's coat, poncho, and tail made the dirt stick to him, and his open mouth gave way to some soil on his tongue.

Once he stopped rolling, Cheese felt like he was still spinning. Nausea bubbled in his stomach, and he could feel tiny painful points that speckled his body, spreading into sore blotches. The shouts of the mares were garbled in his ears, and everything in his vision was a blur.

He shakily got to his hooves, and started spitting out the dirt that accumulated in his mouth. His eyes were squeezed shut as he trembled, and the taste of the dirt was mixed with something foul. He didn't even want to think of why there was such a horrid taste on his tongue.

Yep, it was definitely worse than the Santa Hooves incident.

He heard Hank roar, _"Ribbit!"_ and the next thing he knew there was an earth-shaking thud in front of him. Cheese's eyes snapped open, only to find his vision still blurry. He wondered if he had not completely recovered from his fall, and worried about the possible trauma he had. As he backed up instinctively, it hit him.

His glasses. Where were his glasses?

A "ribbit" from Hank signaled another hop, and Cheese felt the dog land behind him. He kept himself from falling over from the mini earthquake, though just barely. He had swung around completely in the process, and he was sure the blurry form he could barely make out in was Hank. His legs were still shaking, he was covered in sweat, saliva, and dirt, and he couldn't help but worry about his glasses possibly having been broken.

Elsewhere, the girls still had the advantage over the other three dogs. No matter who fought who, Buddy still ended up with a sore bottom, Rider ended up with a sore back, and Bailey ended up with a sore scalp. It wasn't long before they gave up their battles, and decided that Hank could take care of the mares once he was finished with Cheese. So, they retreated to the hole they came from.

Cloudy, Marble, and Limestone ran to the hole that the dogs dove into, and glared down it. Without hesitating, Cloudy said to her daughters, "They must have our rocks in their hideout. Follow those mongrels and get them back. I'll stay and help Cheese!"

"Yes, Ma!" The two younger mares then dove into the hole.

After watching them jump in, Cloudy spun around and started to gallop toward Hank. She didn't slow down as she scooped up a hoofful of dirt, and only stopped to chuck it at the back of the dog's head. The impact made Hank stagger forward, but he caught himself before he fell onto Cheese. Unfortunately for the latter, the smell of dog breath reached his nostrils, and more drool dripped onto him.

Cheese gagged. "Ugh… please get some heavy-duty mouthwash!"

Hank didn't listen, and turned his attention to Cloudy, who was pawing at the ground as she held the fiercest glare. Giving her an evil eye in response, Hank barked, "RIBBIT!"

Cloudy didn't waver. "Dogs don't ribbit."

With a roar, Hank threw a punch, only for Cloudy to block it with a raised hoof, and then smack him across the cheek with the other. As Hank yelped and tried to soothe his throbbing cheek, she looked at Cheese and yelled, "What are you just standing there for?!"

Cheese gritted his teeth and pointed at his face. "Can you not see my glasses are missing? I can barely make out Hank there!"

Cloudy groaned. "I'll keep an eye out for them! Just keep track of the moving gray blob and think of some way to fight him!"

"Um… right…" Cheese chuckled nervously.

A growl from Hank sent chills up Cheese's spine, and he couldn't resist backing up to avoid any damage that could come upon him. His eyes were on the large gray blob that towered over the grayish-white blob that was Cloudy. It hurt his eyes to see the blobs move in such a blur, engaging in a fight. His head was beginning to pound and he found himself wishing for the tedium that had been present the days before.

Even worse, his general feeling of uselessness was surfacing again, and he could only sit down and curse his poor eyesight.

* * *

"Well, it looks like we've gathered everything we need," Igneous grumbled. He stepped out of the shop and into the dusty street, followed by Maud and Pinkamena. Adjusting his hat, he continued, "Now, girls, let's get back to the rock farm and—"

"Igneous!"

He stopped in his tracks and turned his head to see the large stallion galloping toward him. Two laughing foals rode on his back, and the colt appeared to be wearing his father's brown Stetson. The large stallion skidded to a stop, stopping short of hitting Igneous, who didn't even flinch.

Igneous raised an eyebrow. "What is it, Haralson?"

Haralson shook the dust off his coat, and the squeals of his foals were rattled, much to their delight. Over their giggles, Haralson continued, "Ah've been lookin' for you."

"Me? What for?"

"Do you know 'bout the crazy rumor floatin' 'round town?"

Igneous opened his mouth to answer, but was interrupted by two loud mares passing by, cooing, "Ooh, look, I bet they're discussing the courtship right now."

As they walked away, Pinkamena shouted, "There is no courtship! Hasn't anyone taught you not to gossip?!"

Maud patted her sister. "Calm down, Pinkamena."

Igneous remained stone-faced as he answered, "If you're talking about the courtship rumor, I've heard it."

Haralson nodded. "Somepony got the fool idea that mah son and yer daughter—the pink one—are beaus."

"That fool idea originated with your son," Pinkamena snarled.

The colt on Haralson's back leaned over and asked, "Me? Ah didn't start no rumor."

"She was talking about Cortland, Stayman," Haralson said in an exasperated sigh. Facing Pinkamena, he asked, "But are ya sure it was him? Ah don't think he'd resort ta lyin' to the whole town just ta win yer heart. It's a plum stupid thing ta do."

"No kidding," Pinkamena muttered. "But considering how many times I've had to repeat that I'm not interested, I wouldn't put it past him."

"Ugh… Ah'll talk to him about it, and hopefully we can clear this rumor up. It's a shame, really, that them gossipers are flapping their jaws about; Ah've been thinkin' about inviting you folks ta dinner."

Igneous snorted. "Why?"

"Just ta catch up, is all."

Igneous sighed and shook his head. "No… no, we're far too busy, and we've got a lot of extra work ahead. Somepony vandalized our property and stole all our rocks. We've had to spend quite a few bits to replace our tools, and I'm unable to pay the hired help."

"Pardon? Hired help?"

"I hired a stallion who crawled all the way to the rock farm just to ask for a job. Skinny thing, I'm hoping to build some muscle into him."

"Is he handsome?" the filly asked, her green eyes gleaming.

Haralson rolled his eyes. "Idared, Ah don't think that's important."

"Why not, Pa? Iggy-knees has a bunch of daughters. Surely one of 'em is in love with him."

By way of facial features, Pinkamena did not deny that Cheese was at least pleasant to look at. He was lean without looking undernourished or menacing, and yet he held a childlike glow. His smile was warm, and his eyes reminded her of emeralds. And then there was his voice, which she always felt a strange warmth upon hearing.

Igneous snorted. "He and I had an agreement that he wouldn't attempt any sort of romance with any of my daughters. I'm sorry, Idared, but this isn't a fairy tale."

Idared fiddled with her pigtail, staring off into space dreamily. "It could happen. Ma says it's a hard thing ta fight."

Igneous stared at the filly for a moment before saying to Haralson, "Your daughter has an active imagination."

"She sure does. Anyway, Ah'd like to meet this fella sometime. Maybe Ah'll drop by for a visit in a day or two." Haralson made a motion to tip his hat, but ended up touching his forehead before he remembered that Stayman had it. With a sheepish grin, he said, "See ya later," before turning and heading back home. The two foals on his back happily waved at them as they parted.

Igneous looked at his daughters, who merely stared back, waiting with the tools in their saddlebags. He cleared his throat and said, "It's time we go home."

* * *

Cloudy wasn't as nimble as she had been during her younger years, but she was at least keeping Hank busy. Cheese couldn't really do anything to help while his glasses were gone, and Marble and Limestone hadn't returned from their trip to retrieve the stolen rocks. She made quick periodic sweeps of the ground to locate Cheese's glasses, all the while dodging Hank's attacks and throwing clumps of dirt at him.

She could feel a pinching in her knees and the beginnings of a side stitch as she continued to avoid Hank's leaps, and her sharp breaths burned her throat. Her legs were steadily growing weaker, and a moment where Hank managed to catch her tail testified to her slowing down. She bucked Hank's paw and leapt forward when he released his grip.

She stole glances at the sulking Cheese, who was clearly straining to see the battle. She grumbled under her breath about how the stallion needed contacts, or perhaps a way to keep his glasses on, and scanned the ground as she galloped.

"RIBBIT!" Hank roared as he hopped over Cloudy and landed in front of her. She looked up a little too late, and she bounced off his belly with a comical _boing_. She landed on her side on some dusty rocks, and she felt one of her forelegs scraping a sharp one. Clenching her teeth as she got back up, she put a hoof over her wound and could feel herself starting to shake, even as she tried to stay steady. She blew on some stray hairs that had fallen out of her bun, and looked at Cheese, who had apparently noticed something wrong and stood up.

"Cloudy? Are you okay?" he called.

She could already feel the scrape beginning to bleed. "I'll be all right!"

That's when she spotted them. Miraculously intact, Cheese's glasses were resting on a rock pile not too far from where Cloudy was.

She felt the hot breaths of the large dog behind her, and bucked him in the jaw before hobbling to the rock pile. Once she reached it, she picked up the glasses with her mouth, and set her sights on the young stallion. Her scrape stung and her joints ached as she limped forward, carefully stepping over the rocks to keep herself from tripping. Hearing Hank growl, she only limped faster, not caring for the blood seeping out of the wound.

"Cheese Sandwich, you get over here this instant!" she yelled through gritted teeth, still holding the glasses.

"Huh?!" Cheese replied. "Why?"

"No time for questions, just come!"

Cheese gulped. "Um… okay…"

He carefully began to tread through the rock field, feeling for flat earth with each step. His hooves didn't exactly weave around the rocks, instead taking a step on one, recoiling, and placed a little further until it hit dirt. He had a feeling that Cloudy was getting impatient, but hurrying would just make him trip. He continued stepping forward to the pale form, hoping the gray form behind her wouldn't interrupt before they met up.

Of course, just when they were almost to each other, Hank came between them, barking, "Ribbit!" once again.

The thud of the dog made Cheese jump, and he stumbled onto some rocks. His heart pounded at being in close proximity to Hank again, and he was expecting more gallons of spit on him. Then he realized that he didn't know just which side was facing him; for all he knew, he could have something much more unpleasant dumped on him.

However, he found himself annoyed with Hank saying "ribbit" all the time. Why did he say that? Was it just to annoy ponies and his fellow dogs, or was he really that stupid?

He got up on his feet and took a deep breath. "Excuse me, but you are not a frog!"

If the canine hadn't been looking at him before, he was surely looking at him now. Hank growled at the stallion who dared to speak up, and Cheese could hear the unmistakable sound of dripping.

_"Luuunnnccchh…"_

Cheese let out a half-nervous chuckle. "Um, me? Lunch? No, no, no, I wouldn't be that good. Not enough meat on my bones, buddy."

"Me not Buddy!"

"Oh… right, that's your friend. My mistake. Still, I don't think I'd be that good of a meal." Cheese had to keep himself from gagging at Hank's breath.

Hank began to sniff Cheese, who could feel an awful pit in his stomach and his legs too heavy for him to move. A million thoughts went through his head at once, and he couldn't process most of them. Those he could process were the certainty that Hank was going to bite his head off, things that he regretted, and an image of Pinkamena.

However, before Hank could even do anything, Cloudy had hobbled around him and delivered a swift kick to his side with her hind leg. She immediately got moving when Hank howled, and limped her way to the unmoving Cheese. She freed her front hoof just long enough to tap Cheese, and quickly put it back over her wound, ignoring the stinging. When he made a movement to look at her, she rose up and put the glasses on his muzzle.

Cheese blinked as everything became clear, and he could make out every detail of Cloudy's face. He scanned up and down her body, and caught sight of some blood under a hoof that she was holding over her foreleg.

"Cloudy! Your leg!"

"I know!"

Cheese was about to rip off a strip of his poncho to bandage the wound, but Cloudy stopped him, noting its drool and dirt covered state. Before she could offer an alternative, however, Hank was up again, growling at them.

Cheese groaned. "Can't he just give us a moment?"

Cloudy gritted her teeth. "Find some way to get rid of him and_ fast._"

"Uh, okay, right… right." He scanned the field around them, his heart racing. He could see the rocks on the landscape, and thought about throwing them at the mutt. He looked at the house, and wondered if there were any weapons inside. And then he looked at the bare trees that sprouted from a few places in the otherwise barren field. Looking at the branches, an idea came to him.

With a sly smile, he bolted toward the nearest tree, whistling as he did so. This earned confused looks from both Cloudy and Hank, who continued to watch as he hopped onto a large branch and chomp on one of the smaller ones. He pulled at it until it cracked, and he fell out of the tree with a decent sized stick in his mouth. After rubbing his rump, he stood up, and spat the stick onto his hoof.

He waved it, calling, "You want the stick?"

Hank tilted his head, while Cloudy narrowed her eyes and raised an eyebrow.

"Want the stick? You want it? Do you?"

Cloudy was about to ask what he was doing when she noticed that Hank's tail was wagging. Whatever he was doing, it had the dog's attention.

"Come here, boy! I know you want the stick!" Cheese hollered, starting to gallop away. With a happy bark, Hank took pursuit of the pony with the stick.

Cloudy could only stare in bemusement as Cheese led Hank away from the rock farm, and she wondered if Cheese had thought his little plan through. She shook her head. At least Diamond Dogs were stupid.

She glanced at the hole, and to her relief, Marble and Limestone had returned. They were hauling bags of rocks out of it, and they had only had small scratches on their bodies. She couldn't help but feel a swell of pride that the two had handled themselves quite well.

"CLOUDY!"

She snapped her attention in front of her, where Igneous, Maud, and Pinkamena were galloping toward her, with concern highly evident on Igneous' face. He skidded to a stop and took her foreleg. He looked at it, and asked, "What happened?"

"Diamond Dogs," Cloudy answered simply.

Igneous' brow furrowed. "Of course. Those troublemakers always come when gems are plentiful. Who'd they kidnap this time?"

"Nopony," Marble answered, dragging a bag to the group.

Limestone followed, glancing around. "Unless that Hank guy took Cheese."

There was a sharp intake of breath from Pinkamena, which she released when she realized that the others had heard her and were now looking at her. With a cough, she muttered, "Figures that they kidnapped a stallion with sticks for legs. I could tell he was easy pickings the moment I saw him."

"Nah, they didn't kidnap him," Cloudy said. "He just distracted Hank and led him away from the farm."

"Distracted him? With what?" Marble asked.

Cloudy looked directly at her, and said in the driest tone imaginable, "A stick."

The others stared at her with the most incredulous looks, with Maud's being far more subtle than the others'. A few moments of silence passed before Igneous coughed and spoke.

"Well… let's just patch up that foreleg of yours, Cloudy. Marble, Limestone—those are our rocks, right? Just take them to the barn, and we'll lock them and the new tools up."

As Igneous and Maud led Cloudy back to the house, the matriarch looked at Pinkamena. "Go find Cheese and make sure he's not dead."

Pinkamena sighed. "Right."


	10. Forest Folly

Cheese Sandwich didn't know where he was going.

All he knew was that he was dashing through the forest, holding a big stick in his mouth, and being chased by a tall, bulky, and ugly excuse for a canine. His plan to lure Hank away from Cloudy Quartz worked; now how was he supposed to get rid of him?

He tripped over a root, and quickly picked himself up before galloping once again. It didn't matter to him that his chin was now throbbing and his throat stung with each breath. He needed to keep going, at least until he came up with a plan to ditch Hank and make sure he wouldn't return to the rock farm for a very long time.

He glanced around his surroundings, hoping to spot something that could aid him. There were the trees he was weaving through, the rocks he leapt over, and the shrubbery he sidestepped. Tiny sticks cracked under his hooves, and his coat was growing damp with his sweat. His teeth held his stick firmly, and his heart pounded so hard he could feel it in his ears.

Behind him, he could hear trees snapping and tumbling down to earth as Hank crashed through them. Cheese could sense that the dog was catching up, and once the brute caught him, he was done for. He imagined the Pie family finding his remains should they look for him, and the picture in his head was not a pretty one. He kept searching his surroundings, all the while trying to keep looking forward as well.

He caught sight of a low branch ahead of him, and pushed himself into a faster gallop. His mouth occupied by the stick, Cheese ducked and then let his tail snag the branch, and he pulled it to the side so it bent in an unnatural direction. He hid behind the tree, still clinging to the branch. It fought the pull of his tail in order to spring back into its original position, but he wasn't about to let it go. Not yet.

He heard the rhythmic thumps of Hank's paws and his heavy panting, which was marked by the sloshing of drool. The sound nearly made the stallion gag, and he wasn't sure he could successfully pull the branch thing off. What if he let go too early and blew his cover? What if he let go too late?

The slobbery panting drew closer, and Cheese took a deep breath. His painful heartbeat was in time with each step of Hank's, and he could already feel the branch slipping out of his tail's grasp. He prayed that should it slip, the timing would be perfect.

The rapid footsteps stopped for a brief moment, only for a great thud to boom right next to Cheese's tree.

_"RIBBIT!"_

The landing of the apparent leap and the sound of Hank's voice startled Cheese, and the branch slipped out of his tail. He bolted once the branch was released. The _"thwack"_ and the pained howl barely registered in his mind as he galloped away from the large dog.

_Come on, Cheese, you've got to do better than that!_ He didn't know if whipping Hank in the face—or perhaps a different body part—with a branch would stall the canine for long. If anything, Hank was really ticked off.

He was back into his pattern of dodging trees, rocks, and bushes, with a burning in his throat and his lungs feeling as they would burst. All four of his legs were aching, and he could hear them begging him to slow down. He was soaked with his sweat, and a queasy feeling arose within him. He didn't know how much longer he could push himself, and he was sure he'd collapse before long.

A blink of his took too long, and he tripped on a rock. He stumbled to catch his footing, only to step in some water he didn't realize was there. Blinking as he stared at his two front hooves, he looked around, finding himself at a river. The side that he was on was full of trees, while the other side boasted an enormous, shimmering boulder. Looking up, he could see one of the mountains that could be seen from the rock farm, only that it was much closer.

Before he could ponder how far he had run, he heard the bark of _"Ribbit!"_ In a panic, he shimmied up the nearest tree, despite the imaginary screaming of his muscles. He threw himself onto the highest branch he could, and forced himself to hold his heavy breaths.

Hank skidded to a stop in front of the river, glancing around the around in search of the stallion. One look at the canine made Cheese's blood run cold. Low growls were coming from the dog, and drool rained from his mouth. One bug-eye was squeezed shut, apparently from the branch that Cheese had used earlier, and the open one suggested a feral quality. His fangs were bared and the fur on his back was bristled.

Cheese could feel himself begin to tremble. How was he supposed to get rid of him now? He was tired, stuck in a tree, and almost certain to be spotted within a minute. The only thing he was carrying was a stick, and he wasn't sure if it'd be any use at this point. He was sure that Hank wanted his blood.

Still, his eyes were drawn to that boulder across the river. He wished that he could just drop the large rock onto Hank's head, or at least make him run into it.

_Wait a minute…_ he thought, still staring at the rock.

Hank barked, and Cheese snapped his head around to find the dog leaping toward him, his mouth wide open to bite his head off. Cheese quickly scooted forward on the branch, and felt some tail hairs being pulled and splinters fly onto his rump as the jaws snapped onto the branch. He yanked his tail away from the teeth, and growled a raspy "Ouch!" as some hair was pulled out.

His legs still hurt, but he forced himself to jump out of the tree and fall into the river below. He stumbled on the fall, and he didn't know if the mud made it better or the rocks made it worse. Still, that saved him the trouble of having to figure out a way to shimmy back down the tree. Not only that, he could see the boulder right in front of him.

He stood up and waded through the water, starting slow so he wouldn't be so hard on his legs. However, he hastened when he heard the thud of Hank landing on the riverbank. Once he reached the boulder, he turned around, spat the stick out, and cooed, "Here, froggy, froggy, froggy…"

_"Me no froggy! Me Hank!"_

Cheese blinked. "Really? Because you say 'ribbit' all the time."

Hank roared, and leapt forward, his mouth wide open to snatch Cheese. However, the stallion darted forward, and slipped under Hank before the dog even landed. And then, Cheese stopped to hear the inevitable collision of head and stone.

When he turned back around, Hank was lying unconscious in a bulky heap. Cheese couldn't help but stare at the Diamond Dog, and he sat on his haunches, his entire bottom half submerged in the water. After a few moments, he let out a relieved sigh.

"I hope he's out long enough for me to skedaddle," he muttered. "I'm lucky that he's so dense."

Barely a few seconds after he said that, Hank was lifted by the current and carried off. Cheese blinked, and stared at the scene before him. He watched as the large dog floated downriver, going to who-knows-where while out like a light.

"Uh… I guess he's less dense than I thought… bye, Hank…" He continued to stare at Hank, who apparently looked like a boat at the distance he'd already been carried. In light of the awkward moment, Cheese began to sing, _"Float, float, float your dog, gently down the stream. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life's weirder than a dream…"_

Once Hank was out of sight, Cheese shakily stood up. "Guess I oughta get back to the rock farm."

However, he had hardly made the first step to turn around when throbbing aches gripped his legs and sent him back sitting down. His body hardly felt like moving, and he just held the inevitable desire to lie down. His throat was dry, and his lungs still hurt from the panting he had done during the run.

He lay on his belly and crawled to the bank, guzzling some water along the way. His aching muscles made the crawl tedious, and a few times he coughed when water went down the wrong pipe. He could feel the current pulling on his poncho, and the droplets on his glasses irritated him as he looked ahead.

Still, he made it to the bank, climbed out of the river, and laid in the shade of a tree. Sand was sticking to his wet coat, his wet poncho, and his wet tail. He could feel the stings of the cuts and bruises from the battle at the rock farm earlier, and they did not sit well with his weary legs. His estimate of how far he had run and that fact that he'd have to walk all the way back made him more exhausted just thinking about it.

And he felt a little guilty for leaving Cloudy Quartz alone when she had a wound that needed tending to. He hoped that she hadn't been alone for very long.

He closed his eyes. Maybe a nap would do him some good.

* * *

All Pinkamena had to do was follow the fallen trees that she kept coming across. Considering how big Diamond Dogs could get, she was hardly surprised at the damage she walked through. Still, she hadn't met this Hank, and she wondered just how big and ugly he was. He certainly wouldn't compare to Goliath, who had nabbed her years ago. Or Bingo, who had kidnapped Maud. Or Bert and Ernie, who had abducted Marble and Limestone. Of course, all of those kidnappings had been big mistakes on the part of the dogs.

She was sure she would find a headless Cheese somewhere. She won't deny that it was a real shame if she found that. After all, they had only known him for a couple of weeks, and he had so much of his life ahead of him. However, her heart felt quite heavy at the thought of the hired hoof being dead.

She walked around a trampled bush, sweeping her eyes for that bright orange coat. Despite much of the plant life being disturbed, she could hear the birds chirping and whistling away in song. It was hard to ignore, especially if they sang a familiar tune. She didn't know where it came from, she didn't recall ever hearing it before it got stuck in her head, she didn't even recall her family even sing since Granny Pie had passed. Even so, the birds were singing it, and she recognized it.

And began to hum it.

It was a song that needed words, but she couldn't think of them. It was something that needed to be sung out loud, but wasn't because it could be butchered. Pinkamena hadn't sung since she was a tiny filly, and there was no way in her mind she'd be any good. Besides, it wouldn't fit the mood of the rock farm. But there was no harm in humming it while she was alone in the forest.

Her journey took her to the river, and she spotted Cheese Sandwich lying under a tree, completely intact and breathing, though he was a mess. There appeared to be no sign of the Diamond Dog that had chased him, so she couldn't help but wonder how he got rid of him.

She walked toward him. When she was close enough, she crouched down and prodded him with her hoof.

Cheese stirred and mumbled, "Mom… I don't wanna go to school today…"

Pinkamena rolled her eyes and blew on her hair, and then poked him again.

"No, I don't like sauerkraut…"

She gave him a harder nudge, which elicited a groan and the phrase, "Go play by yourself; it's three in the morning…"

Pinkamena snorted and shook him, which got him to finally open his eyes. He looked up with tired, yet bewildered eyes, and yawned.

"Good, you're awake," Pinkamena said. "Why are you napping? Where's this Diamond Dog that had been chasing you?"

Cheese lifted his head with a moan. "I nearly killed myself running from Hank; I'm still tired and achy from galloping who-knows-how-long. I'm just lucky to be alive."

"Well, where is he?"

"Oh, he floated down the river after I tricked him into running into that boulder." Seeing Pinkamena's incredulous look, he added, "I wouldn't believe it either if I hadn't seen it."

Pinkamena gave him an icy stare. "Get up. We're going home."

"Aww… do I have to? I was enjoying my nap…"

"I don't want to keep Ma and Pa waiting."

Cheese sighed. "Fine."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I bet you can guess what this song Pinkamena hums here is. ;)


	11. Respite

The Pies had waited a while before Pinkamena kicked the front door open and walked in, carrying Cheese on her back. Their attention had snapped from Cloudy's bandaged foreleg and Marble and Limestone's various cuts to the pink Pie sister. They were all silent and stone-faced as she bent down and slid him onto the rug before announcing, "He lives."

Cloudy leaned from her spot on the couch and asked, "Did he break a leg?"

"No, he collapsed when we were halfway back."

Cheese shot her a glare. "I told you I was tired."

Igneous wrinkled his muzzle. "From what? Running from the Diamond Dog chasing you? I'm surprised he didn't catch you."

"Exactly what I was thinking," Cloudy said. "Getting Hank to chase you like that was a fool thing to do. You could have been killed."

Cheese sighed and rubbed his temples. "Don't you think I know that? It's a good thing he was an idiot."

"How'd you get rid of him, anyway?" Marble asked.

"Oh? I tricked him into running into a boulder and then he floated down that river in the forest. The way he just drifted downstream was actually kind of amusing."

The Pies gave him the exact same incredulous look that Pinkamena had given him when he told her that, just as he expected. The only one who didn't was Maud, who held her usual inexpressive look. Cheese couldn't help but wonder if the oldest Pie sister could even feel anything. The way he saw it, all she ever did was blink whenever he said something.

After a few minutes that seemed like hours, Cheese asked, "Can I take a bath?"

* * *

That night, after taking extra precautions to prevent a repeat of what had happened the night before, everypony decided it was best for those involved in the fight to retire early. It was plain to see how tired they were from driving the Diamond Dogs away. They had their baths—especially Cheese, who had been covered in dirt and smelled like dog slobber. They were to pull extra weight in the coming days to fix the damage to the fields, especially to patch the large, gaping holes in the middle of the fields.

Igneous, however, was still a little wary about the whole thing, and he sat outside that night to keep watch. Even though those dogs had not much in the way of brains, they still managed to come up with a plan to get him and two of his daughters off the rock farm. He figured that they meant for all to leave, but he did leave his wife, two other daughters, and the hired hoof to watch the farm for a reason.

However, even with the combined strength of the three girls and whatever the stallion had that was useful, Cloudy did get hurt. Marble and Limestone took a big risk in going to the lair to retrieve the stolen rocks. Cheese burned himself out in leading the biggest one away. All turned out well, but each of those scenes could have turned out differently.

Things were hard enough when he and Cloudy lost their mothers, especially for their fillies. Igneous didn't know just how he'd handle it if he lost his wife or any of his daughters. Would he become harder, as he did when his mother died, or would it be different?

The hired hoof was another matter. Cheese had only been with them for a couple of weeks. For Igneous, at most there would be guilt for letting somepony he employed get killed. He didn't know his daughters' views on the lean stallion, and frankly, he didn't care unless there was some sort of attraction between him and at least one of them. How'd they react to his death would depend.

It would be right to inform Cheese's family should he die, but there was a problem: Who were they? Where is he from? Did he even have a family?

Igneous had not been interested in his background—other than his former jobs. But considering the close call he had, and his shy demeanor compared to other drifters, it was a bit of a curiosity. Realizing where his mind was taking him, Igneous rubbed his chin and snorted. It wasn't his place to pry into his employee's life.

"Are you sure you want to be out here by yourself?"

Igneous turned to the source of the voice, who was none other than his wife. Cloudy Quartz hobbled to his side and sat down next to him. Igneous stared at her for a few moments before turning away and sighing.

"Cloudy, go back to bed."

"Not happening as long as you're out here, you old coot."

"Cloudy, you need your rest. Besides, I can handle any intruders on my own."

Cloudy didn't move from her spot. She looked up at the dark sky and inhaled the cool night air. She didn't dare look down and see the mess of rocks from the battle. Her foreleg stung just thinking about the fall that had cut it.

"Cloudy—"

"No, I'm not going back inside," Cloudy retorted.

"You've been through a lot."

"Considering that Limestone and Marble fought an army of them by themselves, and Cheese nearly ran himself to death, I think I'll be fine. My leg will heal, those three will recharge, and then all of us can go back to business as usual." She stamped her hoof on the ground. "Or are you worried because neither of us are getting any younger?"

Igneous shook his head. "Why did I even marry you?"

Cloudy rolled her eyes. "Well, I couldn't read your mind then, and I can't read it now. You tell me."

Igneous closed his eyes and took a deep breath. There appeared the picture of a younger Cloudy Quartz, who had long, silky, teal hair that stood out nicely with her pale coat. He remembered first seeing her as he moseyed along the streets of Nickerlite with his father, and was struck dumb by the very sight of her. He remembered the warm tingling feeling when she looked at him with radiant blue eyes. He remembered the joy he felt when they had talked and found common ground with rocks.

He remembered their acquaintanceship had become friendship, and their friendship had blossomed into love. He recalled the courtship that had followed, and the things that sprung forth from that. Their first kiss. The warmth they felt around each other. Their engagement, which in turn led to marriage. And then came their daughters.

Igneous sighed contentedly. "I feel really comfortable around you."

Cloudy nodded. "I see. It's good to know you still hold concern for us."

"Yes, I do. I want to say I'm happy, but… I…"

Cloudy put a hoof on his. "I know. There's something missing."

"Our crazy mothers?"

"Well, yes, and whatever it was they had that made us… well, smile. I can't remember the last time I did that, much less you or the girls."

"Yeah…" The event that popped into his mind was when the fillies were taught to laugh at their fears by their Granny Pie. The one who had taken it most to heart was Pinkamena, who had been a strange, giggly, bouncy foal from birth until both of her grandmothers' sudden deaths. After that, she was just sad, up until she developed a grumpy streak in adolescence. Where she had got that from, he had no idea.

He looked at his wife, and said, "Cloudy, please go back to bed."

"Nope. Not happening."

* * *

Cheese laid in his bed, staring up at the ceiling, despite it just looking like a blur to him. His limbs all felt like rubber, and he couldn't suppress the awful joke of him being boneless in those poor legs. After having whispered it aloud and chuckling in self-derision, he felt a little disappointed that he couldn't tell another story to Limestone and Marble. Of course, after their adventure that day, he didn't need to.

Still, he was planning on telling the one with the minotaur.

_Oh, well,_ he thought. _Guess it'll wait until tomorrow._

Of course, he was now worried that they wouldn't believe that any of the stories really happened, given the simultaneous raised eyebrows in his direction when he told them what happened to Hank. Whether they believed him or not, all his weird misadventures happened. After all, for some reason, he tended to attract weirdness like a magnet.

He felt like rubbing his eyes, but he didn't feel like moving any of his limbs. No matter about the Pies taking his stories for fiction, especially the Hank thing. He felt a bit of pride in having survived an encounter with that behemoth and outsmarting him. He just wished he had more proof other than his own word. If there had been cracks on the boulder where Hank hit his head, perhaps Pinkamena could have believed him.

"Pinkamena," he whispered. That was a mouthful. If he could, he would just call her "Pinkie." It was as cute as a button, however, and while her face was cute, her general demeanor wasn't. Perhaps if she were to smile, then the little nickname would fit.

But, then again, she might not welcome the nickname "Pinkie." Perhaps "Mena" would be more suitable. Of course, that could bring on the implication that he thought she was mean and was giving her a nickname to reflect that. And he was pretty sure that would not end well.

Why was he even thinking about her name?

Sleeping was what he should be doing. Shutting his eyes, he could feel his body ache with the prospect of fixing up the fields once morning came. As his breathing fell into a slower rhythm and his eyelids unable to open, an image of the pink mare sleeping in the other room arose in his mind.

And she donned the most adorable smile.


	12. Need a Hoof?

The next few days were full of not only moving and sorting rocks, but also filling the holes and tunnels that the Diamond Dogs have dug. Some rocks were sorted into the new category of being used to plug the holes along with soil gathered from both around the farm and elsewhere. Causing cave-ins deep in the tunnels to help with filling them up—as well as discouraging the Diamond Dogs from attempting another raid—was a dangerous task, but all four of the Pie sisters were no slouches when it came to escaping them. It was incredible how fast they all were, especially Pinkamena, who seemed like she was flying at times.

From early in the morning to well into the evening, the Pies and Cheese rotated between the usual rock farm chores and the filling up of the holes. They only took breaks for their meals and the occasional drink of water. Each day ended with them drenched in sweat and covered in dirt, and none bothered to bathe. Cheese ended up sleeping on the floor those nights, due to not wanting to stain the quilt and sleep with annoying grains of sand under the covers. He'd spend all night curled up under his poncho, sleeping until the inevitable rude awakening by Pinkamena in the morning.

His legs still felt like rubber, but he just kept working. Between the usual job of moving rocks, the needed task of filling up the holes, and his attempts at learning how to smell the differences between each of the rocks, he was just getting tired. Not as tired as he was after being chased by Hank, but still quite tuckered out when the day was only half done.

Still, there were no excuses to stop. He could only draw out his water breaks as long as he could without angering Igneous. If that meant "forgetting" to remove his glasses when dumping his entire head in the trough and ending up dropping them in, well, he definitely cherished every second of rest he had.

His mouth wrapped around a shovel, he scooped up some of the dirt-and-gravel mix from the pile, waddled to the big tunnel, and dumped it in. Along with Limestone and Marble, he went back and forth repeating the tedious process. The _"shink"_ made when the shovel scraped the rocks made his fur bristle, and the pitter-patter of dropped pebbles as he dumped his shovelful into the hole made him just stare into the hole impassively. He watched a pair of pink hooves stretch forth and drag the dirt deeper into the hole before turning around and digging up another scoop.

Part of him desperately wanted to break the gloomy silence. Even if they were discussing the various kinds of rocks, how water could whittle away at a pebble, or if sandstone was the meaning of life, at least it wouldn't be so awkward. Silence was much less awkward when he was alone than when surrounded by other ponies who acknowledged his existence.

On the other hoof, not only was his mouth occupied, but he feared that he'd get on their bad side. The Pies were still tense after the whole Diamond Dog fiasco, and if Cheese said the wrong thing, he'd receive several heavy glares from them, especially from Pinkamena. But not from Maud. She didn't seem to care just what he did.

As Cheese leaned into the pile to shovel more dirt, he heard a deep "HOWDY!" a ways away, and soon found a pickaxe embedded in the pile about an inch away from his muzzle. He jumped in fright, dropped his shovel, and turned his attention to Igneous, who held a look of surprise and annoyance on his face. On the path that was yards away, there was a big green stallion and a pair of foals waving at the family.

Igneous growled and turned to the visitor. "Don't startle me like that! I nearly killed the hired hoof!"

The other stallion grimaced and shouted, "Sorry 'bout that!"

Cheese patted his muzzle, and imagined the mess that would have been made had the pickaxe landed a few more inches. Scrunching his muzzle, he picked up the pickaxe and trotted to Igneous. He wordlessly returned it to his employer and turned around to resume shoveling.

"Hey, now! Mind introducin' him ta us, Igneous?"

Cheese paused mid-step and turned to Igneous. The older stallion sighed, and tilted his head toward the visitor. Both of them walked to the path and met the large stallion face to face. Cheese looked down at the foals clutching their father's thick legs, and gave them a sweet smile.

"So, what's yer name, boy?"

Cheese jerked his head up, blinking at the mass of muscle that stood before him. With a nervous swallow, he answered meekly, "Cheese Sandwich."

The visitor chuckled and lifted a hoof. "Nice ta meet ya, Cheese. Mah name is Haralson."

As Cheese shook hooves with Haralson, the colt, now having lost the right front leg, started bouncing in an attempt to meet Cheese's eyes. "Ah'm Stayman!"

The filly clutching Haralson's left front leg twirled her pigtail and squeaked, "Mah name's Idared."

Cheese stopped the shaking and dropped his hoof. "It's nice to meet you folks." His eyes glanced between the jumping colt and the shy filly. "Especially you two."

Idared scanned Cheese from his hooves to his curly mane. She stared at his face for a few moments before setting her sights on his legs. She giggled, "Yer tall!"

"Oh, um… I know that. I've known it since I've had my growth spurt quite a few years ago."

Igneous rolled the wheat strand in his mouth as he looked at Haralson. "So, you weren't lying when you said you'd drop by."

"'Course not," Haralson said. "We Apples are an honest bunch. Say… may Ah ask about the holes?"

"Diamond Dogs."

"Oh."

"Yep. They broke the tools and stole the rocks, and while me, Maud, and Pinkamena were in town, they popped in. Cloudy and the others had to drive them off."

"Goodness, are they all right?"

"Of course they are, we've dealt with Diamond Dogs before!" Igneous glanced at Cheese. "He nearly run himself to death, though."

Cheese snorted and grumbled, "At least I got rid of him."

Haralson scratched his chin. "So, y'all have to plug up them holes? Well, then, Ah might as well lend a hoof."

Igneous sighed. "That's kind of you, but—"

"Oh, no, don't give me that. Cortland and Blossom can take care of our farm just fine. They've done it before when Ah've had to go on trips. Besides, Ah'd be happy to help a neighbor repair some damage; consider it as me repaying ya for yer help with the parasprites."

"That was years ago."

Haralson walked past him. "Better late than never. Stayman, Idared, you young'uns wanna help?"

"Sure, Pa!" both foals cheered.

Before either Igneous or Cheese could say anything, the three Apples ran out to the field to join the mares in the chores. The two stared for several moments as they started scooping dirt; Haralson with the shovel Cheese dropped, and the twins with their front hooves.

Cheese turned to Igneous, and smiled. "That was nice of them."

Igneous gave him a stony glare and growled, "Get back to work."

* * *

Seeing as his shovel had been taken, Cheese decided to help with gathering the rocks. Stayman and Idared followed him after a frustrating trial of using only their hooves to scoop up the dirt and gravel mix. Walking beside the cart pulled by Maud, the foals were more than happy to scurry around and chatter away to the both of them.

"Do you eat rocks?" Stayman asked, picking up a pebble and tossing it in the cart.

Maud glanced at the colt, and answered, "Some kinds of rocks. Salt is a mineral used for flavor. I've found a kind of rock that can be made into rock candy. We make stone soup and rock cakes."

Stayman nodded, picked up another rock, and licked it. Immediately after he grimaced and left his tongue hanging in disgust.

Cheese chuckled. "I don't think that rock's edible."

"Edible?"

"Um, eatable."

"Oh." Stayman threw the rock into the cart. "Then what's the point of rock farming?"

"Rocks have many uses," Maud said.

Cheese nodded. "They're used for construction, for scientists to study, and some of these things hide gems in them. Isn't there the occasional fossil or something, Maud?"

"We found one once. It was a tooth."

"Okey dokey, then. So… yeah, this isn't a useless occupation. Any other questions?"

"Are you ponies in love?" Idared squeaked.

Cheese and Maud glanced at each other, with the stallion raising an eyebrow. Then they both answered, "No."

Stayman groaned. "Didya have to ask that?"

"Of course! Cortland's been tryin' to get Pinkamena's attention. Shouldn't it be fair that her sisters find love, too? Who better than Mr. Tall and Handsome here?"

"I… don't think they're interested," Cheese said, throwing another rock into the cart. "I mean, me, handsome? Pssht, come on. Besides, if I try any of that, I'm pretty sure Igneous would kill me."

Idared gasped. "…does that mean he's going to kill Cortland?"

"It's just an expression, no need to worry." Cheese was grinning as he said that, though his thoughts trailed into the mention of Cortland. Apparently that was the stallion that Igneous was talking about when they had that interview a few weeks prior. And he had his eyes set on Pinkamena. For some reason, the thought of him hitting on her made his fur bristle, and he could feel his mane starting to, as well.

Shrugging it off as sympathetic annoyance—after all, he figured that she wouldn't be interested in anypony—he quickly changed the subject. "Okay, enough of the lovey-dovey stuff. Ask a different kind of question."

Idared shuffled her hooves. "Where ya from?"

Cheese had been picking up another rock when she asked that, and when the question hit his ears, he froze and dropped it. He bit his lip and scrunched his muzzle, and then breathed out, "…that's… not important."

"Why?"

"Because… because… uh…" Cheese groaned and repeatedly knocked on his head. He took a deep breath. "Because… I'm never going back."

"What about yer family?" Stayman asked.

Cheese snorted. "What about them?"

"Don't they miss you?"

Cheese sighed. _I doubt it, I'm the nopony of the family._ He blew another snort, and went off to gather more rocks. No doubt the kids would pry some more should he stay within proximity of them. If there was anything he didn't want to talk about, it was his kin.

The twins stared at Cheese for a minute, glanced at each other, and then looked at Maud hopefully.

Maud shook her head. "He hasn't told any of us. It's none of our business."

* * *

As Pinkamena swept the mound of dirt and pebbles into place, she couldn't help but feel disdain at what she was hearing from Haralson. She could hear him chattering, even from her place in the hole, and she wasn't too keen on his inviting the Pies to dinner.

"Mah offer still stands," he had said. "We'd be happy to have ya over!"

While Pinkamena liked the idea of socializing, the fact that this was Cortland's father made her less than enthused. The Apples were friendly folk; but Cortland was a little too friendly toward her. Last time they had met, Maud had to step in. She wondered if she'd have to buck him in the face before he took the hint.

She trotted to the opening and awaited more of the dirt. The talking was much clearer now, and she could hear her father's grumbled replies to what Haralson had to say.

"I told you, we have too much work to do."

"I dunno, y'all seem awfully tense. Ya sure you don't wanna unwind?"

"Haralson, have you forgotten the rumor?"

"Ugh… I've been going 'round town shootin' it down. I made Cortland promise to be on his best behavior should you accept. And who knows? Maybe Cheese could help dissuade those silly gossipers."

"Great… just what I need… a rumor about the hired hoof…"

"…Ah didn't mean to imply that…"

Seeing that there was a lack of dirt falling through the opening, Pinkamena popped her head out of the hole, and saw that the pile had been reduced to nearly nothing but a few pebbles. Sighing, she climbed out, and said, "Looks like we'll have to gather more."

The two stallions turned to her, as did Marble and Limestone. Igneous nodded, and then pointed to where Maud was pulling the cart. The mares picked up the shovels, and then made their way to their older sister.

* * *

After Maud delivered the rocks to their mother for sorting, the Pie sisters, Cheese, and the little Apple twins went to the outer part of the fields to scrape together more dirt. The firm soil was loosened and shoveled into the cart, and any pebbles that were accidentally scooped up were welcomed. Things were not quiet with the foals chattering away to each of them, and any questions they had were answered.

With the exception of personal questions asked to Cheese. No matter how much the foals prodded, Cheese would stay eerily silent. He'd wander to a section of the field by himself, loosen up some dirt, and just point at it for one of the mares to pick it up. He repeated this process until the cart was full and they had to go back.

That behavior drew some concern from Pinkamena. Seeing the usually warm stallion act like this was unsettling, and she wondered what was so bad that he would be so cold. From what she could read from her sisters' faces, they were a bit concerned as well.

Even as they hauled the gathered dirt back to the field, Cheese would be quiet. It was almost like he was in another world, one that he didn't want to be in. That garnered some curiosity within Pinkamena, and she wanted to pry into his mind and find out what was wrong. Of course, it would be impolite, but if she just knew, maybe she could help somehow.

Of course, Pinkamena knew she'd be no help. After all, whatever problems he had were probably too complex for a simple rock farmer mare. For now, considering the nature of the questions that had been asked, she was assuming he was an orphan.

The day dragged on until suppertime, and Haralson and the twins decided it was high time to go home. The Pies were out watching the Apples' departure, each just staring impassively. As they had left, Haralson made sure to add, "Think about mah invitation, okay?"

Igneous sighed and shook his head. "That pony sure is persistent. Now I know where that colt gets it from."

Pinkamena blew on her mane. "No kidding."

"Still, it's not every day someone offers to help," Cloudy said.

After everyone murmured in assent, they turned around to file inside the house. It was time for dinner, and they were going to retire for the night. And maybe they would have their long overdue baths.


	13. Unusual Incentive

A tiny mouse scurried across the dust. Small billows were kicked up as its feet pattered on the ground. Curiosity had overtaken the little rodent as it explored a new place. There was a wide open space full of nothing but dirt and rocks, which left the mouse wide open for any predators. But the mouse was focused on the possibilities of this new place, even if there was not much to it now.

It came across a wall. It looked up, amazed at the sheer height. It didn't look like any tree or rock that it had encountered before, as it was not only tall, but very wide. It gingerly placed a paw on the wall and felt the rough surface. What was this doing here?

It glanced to its left, and there was a hole. The inquisitive mouse approached it cautiously, and stuck its head in. When assured that it was safe, it crawled in and explored inside the wall.

Later, it came back out, and it scurried back to the forest it came from, eager to tell its friends about the wondrous place it had found.

* * *

Igneous Rock patted the dirt in place, a satisfied nicker escaping his throat.

It had taken a little over a week, but all the holes had been filled. He was quite thankful that they had made good time with the task, and now things could go back to the normal routine. He turned to the rest of the family and Cheese, who were drinking out of the trough. While they welcomed the break, there was no doubt that they would still have to carry on with the usual chores.

Igneous walked to the trough and drank in big gulps. Once he was finished, he looked up at the rest, and tilted his head toward the field to let them know that it was time to go back to work.

The afternoon dragged on as it always did. They were once again gathering rocks, hauling them, and sorting them. Boulders were busted, embedded rocks were dug out, and the unripe rocks were carefully placed in their spots.

Cheese was handling the placement of the unripe rocks quite well. Taking a bunch of them and holding them all with one of his front legs, he gently placed them onto the ground and nudged them into place. He could stand on two legs just long enough to place one down, and then returned to walking on three legs while one cradled the pile of rocks he carried.

And he had whistled before Igneous got annoyed and told him to stop, to which he meekly complied.

The work went on until suppertime loomed. Igneous hauled the ripe rocks into the barn with Maud, while the others washed up and went in to prepare for supper.

* * *

Cheese had set the table quickly, retreating to a corner to read a book. He felt bad for not contributing much to the preparations, but what could he do? He was an awful cook, with beans the only thing he could at least make decent. At this point, all he could do was wait while the mares made dinner.

At least he wasn't the only one. Maud wasn't that great of a cook either, he had been told. Of course, she had never seemed interested in it, so he figured that she never put in the effort to learn like her sisters did.

He scooted to lean against the wall, and his rump came in contact with something cold and hard on the floor. He jumped to his feet, and turned to see what it was. Curiously, it was a small handle to a door that occupied that very corner he was in. He scratched his head, wondering how he had missed the cellar door.

He leaned down and poked the handle, muttering, "What would they keep in a cel—wait. Probably more rocks."

Even so, something in the back of his mind told him that there was the possibility that there was something other than rocks down there. If there was, it probably grains used to bake in bread. He still poked the handle, debating whether or not he should check it out.

* * *

"All right, the rocks are clean and I've put them into the pot," Cloudy said. "Pinkamena, get the cheese. Marble, get the vegetables we need. Limestone, give me the salt and pepper."

The three girls nodded, and went to the respective places to gather the ingredients needed for stone soup. Despite the fact that there were stones in it, it was actually quite delicious. It was the meal that Pinkamena, Marble, and Limestone were the most pleased with, and they were definitely pleased that they were having it tonight.

Or so they thought. As Marble opened the cupboard, she gasped, and her eyes widened at what she found inside.

Even worse, what was inside had suddenly come pouring out like a waterfall onto the counter, the floor, and on Marble herself. The cacophony of squeaks drew the attention of her mother and sisters. They jumped at the sight of a tidal wave of mice crashing onto Marble relentlessly, with the pony and all of the mice with panicked looks on their faces.

A shocked Pinkamena turned back to do her job… only to find mice had gotten the cheese as well. She looked between the startled Cloudy and Limestone, the army of mice coming out of every nook and cranny, and Marble, who was going to scream in about three seconds.

* * *

As Igneous and Maud locked up the barn, a shriek came from the house. Igneous spun around, and looked at the house in concern, while Maud just simply turned and blinked.

"What the—what's going on in there?" Igenous muttered.

The two went to the house, and threw open the front door. A bunch of mice scurried between their hooves, but that was just a small fraction of the number of mice inside. The rodents practically made an undulating carpet on the floor, and they all squeaked in such a shrill and unorganized manner that an earache was inevitable. In the corner, mice were jumping at Cheese, who kept swatting them away with his book.

"Back off!" Cheese snarled, batting some mice away. "Back off! Just because my name is Cheese doesn't made I'm actually _made _of cheese!"

"What in blazes is going on here?!" Igneous shouted.

Cheese turned to the older stallion. "Isn't it obvious?! It's a mouse invasion!"

"Where did they all come from?!"

"Kitchen!" Cheese jumped as some of the rodents managed to sink their teeth into him. "YOWCH! Geez, I just said I wasn't made of cheese!"

_Are we out of rat poison?_ Igneous thought. He sighed and walked in, making mice scatter as he took each step. Maud was right behind him, sweeping mice out of her path. She glanced at Cheese, stared at him for a brief moment, and then walked toward him. She plucked the mice off of him, and the two set to work on scaring the army of rodents out the door.

Igneous made his way to the kitchen, where a trembling Marble was curled up on the table, Cloudy was shooing mice with a broom, and Pinkamena and Limestone were wielding frying pans to swat mice like Cheese had been doing with his book. It was a scene that Igneous never thought he would ever see.

"Cloudy! Can you explain this?!"

Cloudy swept some mice out of the kitchen. With the broomstick between her teeth, she answered, "They jumped outta that cupboard onto Marble, and now they're running all over the place!"

"How did they get in there?!"

"We'll figure that out later! We've gotta get rid of these thieving rodents!"

Pinkamena banged her pan on the floor, sending some mice scattering. "So much for our soup!"

"Soup?" Limestone retorted. "So much for anything for dinner!"

Igneous groaned. "Door's open! Chase them out!"

"OUCH!" Cheese shouted from the other room. "Okay, that's it! It's rodent stomping time!"

The very next moment, loud, angry stomping could be heard, as well as an uproar of frightened squeaks. Igneous looked behind him briefly, and looked at the frustrated Cheese, whose curly mane was beginning to bristle, and whose hooves were making mice flee out the door with each step. Maud was just sweeping them out with her tail, and when some would try to scurry back in, she only made a single hard stomp, and the mice just ran back out.

Turning back to the others, Igneous said, "Come on, let's get these darn rodents out of here."

Armed with her broom, Cloudy nodded and continued to sweep, while Pinkamena and Limestone still threatened the mice with their cooking ware. Igneous was ready to take Marble off the table so she could help, but he was stopped when Limestone said, "Don't bother. You know how she gets when she's scared."

Igneous shook his head. _She can take on an army of Diamond Dogs without breaking a sweat, and yet she gets paralyzed by mice._ He let her be, and did his part in shooing the mice.

Mice were shooed from out of the kitchen, and in turn they were shooed out the door. By broom, pan, and hoof, the Pies and Cheese were fighting this army of tiny critters. Some tried to hide, but it was no use. These ponies were adamant about getting rid of every single one of them.

While some of the mice tried to fight back by biting the ponies, they were easily shaken off and brushed away by the broom. The clanging of the pans and stomping of the hooves sent the rodents into a panic, and they scattered left and right trying to escape the ponies pursuing them. Hiding under furniture was not much help either, for the ponies were strong and could lift it easily. The only way to lose these ponies was to make it out through the open door.

The rodent army had to retreat, for the enemy was far too large, and could easily crush them. Some tails had already been crushed by the skinny orange one, and none wanted to take the risk with the stockier equines. Biting them was only a mild inconvenience, and they had no other methods of fighting. Convinced that the ponies were going to eat them, the retreat was made.

The mice ran out of the door in a river, running faster upon hearing hoofbeats and the clanging of pans. Large and noisy animals the ponies were, and they were surely dangerous. There was no doubt that the mouse community was going to have to lecture the fool who lead them there in the first place. Innocent rodents could have been killed!

The river of mice went down to a stream, and then the stream went down to a trickle. The Pies searched every nook and cranny for any stragglers, shooing them out when they found them. They made sure to search for any mice that were dead as well.

And then Igneous checked the cellar. There was more, and they were all in the bags of grain. Or what was left of the grain. Luckily, the mice were stuck in the bags, so they simply took the bags out, dumped the mice and very little remaining grain out, and then took them back in.

After all was said and done, Igneous and Cheese threw the bags onto the cellar floor. Cheese looked around the cellar, having finally discovered what was down there. And as he guessed, not only was there the grain, there was a rock collection.

Igneous cleared his throat. "Well, boy, it seems we got rid of all of the mice."

Cheese was still looking around. "Mm-hm."

"Now we've got to find the hole they came in and plug it up."

"With a rock?" Cheese asked with a grin.

Igneous stared hard at Cheese, who averted his gaze once his grin fell. After the younger stallion mumbled an apology, Igneous went up the stairs. "Supper's late, and I'm hungry."

"Uh, yeah, me too," Cheese mumbled. His eyes swept the room one last time. There was the rock collection, the empty bags, an old bookshelf with some old books, and a trunk. And he suddenly became very curious about the last two.

"You coming?!"

Cheese jumped at the sound of Igneous' voice, and climbed up the stairs, glancing at the bookshelf and the trunk as he left the cellar.

* * *

"Well, that's just our luck," Cloudy grumbled as she looked through the cupboards. "That lot of mice devoured just about everything!"

Limestone groaned and glared at Marble. "By the way, thanks for the help. Your act of cowering on the table really scared off those mice."

Marble glowered back. "Well, excuse me if I got rained on by mice! How would you react to that?!"

"I'd just brush them off and fight them."

"Pfft, yeah, right. You freaked out at that grasshopper, remember?"

"I was five! And hey, it jumped onto my chest!"

"Well, mice raining on you is worse!"

Cloudy put a hoof to her face as her daughters argued. "It's times like these where I wish we had a cat…"

Pinkamena, growing annoyed by the argument of Marble and Limestone, brought her hoof down with a resounding _thud_ and growled, "Enough. Marble helping us wouldn't have changed anything. They got there before we even came inside."

Maud stared at the inside of the cupboard that was currently open. "Looks like there won't be supper tonight."

Just as she had said that, Igneous and Cheese came in, having heard it if the sheer disappointment on Cheese's face was any indication. Igneous gave him a stern look and said, "You can survive. I'm sure you've been short on rations before."

Cheese brushed the floor with his hoof. "I know, I know… that still doesn't soften the blow."

"That wasn't the intention."

"Yeah… hey, didn't the Apples invite us to—"

"No," Pinkamena interjected, walking toward them.

Cheese glared at her. "I wasn't talking to you."

"Well, I'm sure Pa agrees. We can survive until tomorrow when we can buy some food from the market. In any case, I don't want to go to their farm."

"Well, I don't see what the problem is," Cheese said. "They're nice folks, and I don't really see the trouble that could come from one night."

"You haven't met Cortland."

Cortland. Already that name got on his nerves. Why was that? "Well… this could be my chance to meet him. I need to meet him before I form an opinion of him." _And I don't want to get all my information about him from you, Pinkamena._

"Oh? Well, you might have a chance tomorrow when we go to the market."

Cheese narrowed his eyes and leaned forward. "Something tells me you're afraid of him."

"I am not."

"You sure? It's not like he'll propose if we come over."

"Oh, you think that?" Pinkamena leaned forward, not caring that her nose was now touching Cheese's, and not caring for the surprise that flashed in his green eyes. "I bet you five bits that he would."

"Pinkamena," Igneous interrupted. "Get out of his face. Besides, it's my decision."

Pinkamena took a step back from Cheese. She watched him rub his nose, noting that he was scrunching his muzzle and blushing as he did so. He was obviously not used to a mare being that close to him. For a brief moment, she wondered how he'd react to a mare kissing him.

Igneous cleared his throat. "All right, so I have been mulling over the question of dinner at the Apple family's farm. Now that all the holes are filled, I suppose I can consider it. There are a few points of concern: One, there's the issue Pinkamena has with Cortland. Two, there have been rumors floating around about the first concern. And three, we don't know if they've already had their supper."

"Any points that should push us to go?" Cloudy asked.

"Besides the fact that we're hungry? Well, Haralson and I should discuss on how to effectively quash those dang rumors. Our entire family should lay down the law for Cortland to accept Pinkamena's rejection. Maybe Haralson will leave us alone after this. And of course, there's the matter of introducing our hired hoof."

Igneous sighed. "I suppose we could accept this one invitation."

Pinkamena's eyes widened. Was she hearing that right? "Pa, no!"

"Don't worry, he won't harass you when we're around. We won't let him."

"Igneous, are you sure about this?" Cloudy asked.

"Yes, I'm sure. After this, things will go back to normal. We'll restock our food tomorrow, get some rat poison, and we work the farm. Nopony else will come out here to bother us."

Somepony's stomach growled. Whoever it was, they didn't speak up.

"Now… let's see if they have room for seven more."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea what prompted this. All I thought was “waterfall of mice falls onto a Pie sister” and then this happened. Can we just say poor Marble?
> 
> Anyway, I’m sorry for this lousy segway for the "Dinner With the Apples" thing. I wanted to go that direction, and I give you a lot of mice munching on all the food the Pies had. If I accomplished anything, I probably made you laugh at some point.
> 
> I had pretty much nothing else in my head that could influence the decision.


	14. Evening with the Apples

It was a long and quiet walk, especially since the streets of Nickerlite were mostly bare as twilight approached. Few ponies were out and about, and those that were didn't raise a fuss about the entire Pie family having walked into town. However, as Pinkamena noticed, there were those who gave a passing glance, mostly looking at the lean stallion with them. And then they'd look at her and whisper to each other.

She blew some of her hair out of her face. She suspected that they were talking about her and Cortland, and if they knew the Pies were heading to the Apples' farm, things would get worse. The thought of being in the same house as that arrogant colt was bad enough. If anything, she wished that Lemon Drop had been the one to invite the Pies to dinner instead of Haralson. She was far more comfortable around the candy shop owners.

Noting the looks that the passersby were giving Cheese, she was a little worried about him somehow getting roped into the whole courtship rumor mess. After all, it had been years since Pa had hired a stallion, and Pinkamena was sure they'd suspect some kind of attraction between him and one of the Pie sisters. And who better for a juicy story than the pink mare torn between the eligible bachelor of the Nickerlite Apples and the bespectacled drifter currently employed by Igneous Rock?

_Hmph, I'm not torn between them,_ she thought with a huff. _I wasn't attracted to anypony in the first place._

They were soon upon the orchard, and the smell of apples was wafting in the air. The scent hit her nostrils, and a hunger pang arose in her belly. She heard another pony's stomach rumble—whose it was, she didn't know.

They finally came upon a farmhouse in the midst of the orchard, and they were barraged with the scents of various foods, both apple and non-apple kinds. It made the emptiness of their stomachs all the more apparent, and had their mouths not been shut, they would have watered.

They made it to the porch, and Igneous sighed. "All right, we'll be on our best behavior tonight. We don't want to abuse the Apples' hospitality. Even if they have already finished their supper, we will be gracious guests. Understand?"

The mares gave single nods, while Cheese gave several rapid nods. After this affirmation, Igneous knocked on the door and waited for one of the Apples to answer.

It wasn't even five seconds when the door opened and Igneous was suddenly pulled into a bear hug. The perpetrator, Haralson, was throwing out a booming laugh as his legs were wrapped around the tan pony. The others gaped at the scene before them, wondering why he did that. Cheese stifled a laugh, and Pinkamena gave him a scolding glance.

"Hahaha! So ya accepted mah invitation after all!" Haralson chortled, squeezing his fellow stallion.

Igneous looked as if he already regretted his decision. "Let go of me."

Haralson released him and looked to the rest of the Pies and Cheese. "Well, don't just stand out there! Come in, come in!"

They entered the house, and Pinkamena looked around. The interior was decorated with an apple theme, and the room was quite warm and inviting. The couch and a couple of chairs were arranged against the back wall and a couple of corners respectfully, a white bookshelf against the left wall was filled with all sorts of books, and many pictures of the Apples' many relatives were hanging on the walls.

When a hoof went over her back and pulled her close to a large and strong body, she felt an unpleasant jolt inside her, especially when the pony who did it started to speak.

"Oh, Pinkamena! Ah'm so glad ya made it!"

She scowled upon hearing Cortland's voice. "Let go of me."

"Oh, but Pinkie! Yer so soft and huggable, even for a rock farmer mare. Why would Ah want to let you go?"

Pinkamena glanced at the direction of Igneous and Haralson, who both sported disapproving glares. "You want to be punished by your pa or mine?"

Cortland noticed the glares, and he immediately let go of her. Pinkamena drew close to Maud, who immediately patted her reassuringly. She didn't feel so hungry anymore, and she just wanted to run all the way home. Of course, not only was it rude, but it would make Cheese think that he was right, that she was afraid of Cortland. She knew that she wasn't; she just didn't like him.

Cortland looked up and saw Cheese, who had been watching the scene with a curious expression. Narrowing his eyes, he asked the lanky pony, "Who are you?"

Cheese stared at him for a moment before opening his mouth to answer. However, he was interrupted by Haralson answering for him. "That's the Pies' hired hoof, Cheese Sandwich. Ya know, the colt that yer sister was chatterin' about?"

As if right on cue, said sister ran into the room and latched herself onto Cheese's leg. "Whoo! Mah future husband's here!"

Cheese flushed when he heard that, and Haralson gave a hearty chuckle. Pinkamena glanced at Cheese's red face, and felt a strange tightness at the corners of her mouth and a small amount of pressure in her chest and throat, waiting to be released. It was all gone with a simple swallow, but she felt kind of bad for not letting it out.

Cortland snorted. "Ah was expecting somepony… younger."

Cheese quirked an eyebrow. "As in someone from the schoolyard?"

Idared stuck her tongue out. "No way! All the colts at school are icky meanies! Cheesy's really nice!"

"Huh." Cortland approached him, and scrutinized him with several quick glances at different areas of his body. "You really are a skinny thing. Ah'm not sure yer good enough for mah sister."

Cheese chuckled, taking it in stride. "Aw… really? Well, I suppose she does deserve the best Equestria has to offer."

"Yer plenty good!" Idared whined. "Any mare would be lucky to have ya!"

"Me? Nah. I'm sorry, but I don't think I'd interest any mare in that way. Just ask the Pies."

Marble nodded. "We're just thinking of him as a temporary brother. Although he does tell good stories."

"Whether they're true or not, they are very interesting tales," Limestone added.

Pinkamena could see slight exasperation in Cheese's face. Whether that meant that he really did have those adventures he talked about and he was frustrated that they didn't believe him or that he was in no mood for storytelling, she did not know.

Just then, a light pink mare with red hair in a bun popped out from the kitchen. "Supper's ready if y'all want it! There's plenty for everypony!"

"Thanks, Blossom," Haralson said. He glanced at Cheese and said, "How 'bout you tell us one of them stories at the table?"

* * *

The Apples didn't seem to care at all that the main reason the Pies came was because a mouse invasion stripped them of their food. They actually found it kind of humorous, even though the Pies didn't. Even so, the Apples were happy to share their meal with them.

The meal had a small variety of vegetables, consisting of steamed carrots, corn on the cob, boiled peas, and baked potatoes. A pot of hayballs in cheese sauce took up the middle, and cool applesauce had its place further away. Freshly baked bread was on its place on the table, with a stick of butter on a small platter beside it. Apple pie was on the table as well, directly opposite of the bread. Glasses of apple juice were arranged around the surprisingly large table, adjacent to the plates.

Maud Pie had been staring at her potato for a couple of minutes. The she smelled it in dry curiosity before she mashed it with her hoof. Stayman and Idared were spreading globs of butter on their slices of bread, licking their lips in anticipation. And everypony else was eating their meal and listening intently to Cheese's tale.

"…so that stallion had always had an attitude problem. April Showers threatened to fire him if he didn't behave during work hours, but when it came to break time and after hours, he would always give me a funny look, and said some pretty unkind things that I shouldn't repeat." Cheese munched on another hayball and wiped his mouth. "I'm sure he would have pounded me to dust had I not found ways to slip away every time he confronted me. Still, as big of a jerk as he was, I didn't expect him to get arrested."

"Arrested?" Haralson asked. "Fer what?"

Cheese rubbed the back of his head and glanced at the twins. "Well… let's just say there was a gruesome encounter with a calf."

Blossom gasped, the twins were confused, while the rest of the ponies sans Maud were wide-eyed. Cheese grimaced, the memory of the news of what his fellow employee did still giving him shivers. He hated to imagine the scene.

"Yeah, I don't know what happened to him after that, but it doesn't matter now. So, April replaced him with this mare named May Flowers. She was quiet at first, but she ended up a little sassy and she didn't quite understand the concept of personal space."

"Neither does a certain somepony at this table," Pinkamena muttered under her breath.

"So, after she had been employed a while, imagine everyone's surprise when she went to the doctor for a checkup, and discovered she was not only pregnant, but was due in a couple of weeks."

Cloudy blinked. "How in Equestria did she miss that for eleven months?"

"Beats me. But hey, her colt turned out pretty cute, and we all loved the kid." He popped a few more hayballs into his mouth. "I wonder how they're doing these days."

"I'm sure they're fine, Cheese," Haralson said. "Ah am sorry to hear about that former co-worker. Sounds like he woulda killed ya if given the chance."

"Ehehe… yeah…" Cheese mumbled, taking a sip of his juice.

Haralson turned to Igneous, and asked, "Didn't you used ta make reforming criminals work on the rock farm and that quarry in the mountains?"

Igneous was in the middle of chewing his potato when that question was asked. With a sigh, he swallowed and answered, "Yes… with mixed results. Had to stop once Maud was born."

"Ah understand completely. Wouldn't want those kinds of ponies near my flesh and blood, either."

"Puh, especially since they'd get into fights all the time. I needed to constantly remind them who was in charge. A rock farmer's strength comes in handy for those situations."

"And for threatenin' any suitors of yer daughters?" The Apple stallion leaned forward and pulled a wry grin upon saying that, and didn't notice Cortland's sour expression.

Igneous replied with a dead serious tone, "Yep."

Haralson's mouth formed into an O, and he nodded. Turning to Maud, who sat across from him, he asked, "Would you like some salt with that?"

"No thanks. This potato's fine."

"Oh! Oh!" Stayman squealed. "I want some salt, Pa!"

Haralson chuckled as the salt was passed to his younger son. "Careful now, we don't want too much salt on that."

Stayman rolled his eyes, and begin to salt the spud, only for the top of the salt shaker to fall off. The contents were unceremoniously dumped onto the potato, and there was a sparkling white hill now perched on his plate.

After staring for a few moments, he asked, "Can I still eat it?"

As Cheese chuckled along with the Apple parents, he couldn't help but notice the stare that Cortland was giving him. It would seem very neutral to the casual observer, but he could sense a fair bit of coldness in those eyes. It was very discomforting, and Cheese attempted to shake it off by consuming more of the hayballs.

He could still feel those amber eyes boring into him.

* * *

While the parents of both families stayed inside to talk, the Pie sisters, the Apple kids, and Cheese were all outside, most of them enjoying some apple pie. They were looking up at the night sky, with the twins counting the stars, Cheese searching for simple constellations, and the Pies deep in conversation about what the moon must be like.

"The moon looks like a hunk of pumice," Marble stated.

"Pumice?" Limestone said. "Are you saying a super volcano spat out the moon long ago?"

"No, I'm just stating what it looks like. The moon's origin must be magical."

"Maybe if we ever meet Princess Luna, we can ask her."

"Isn't the moon older than Luna or something?"

"Well… d'oh, I don't know!"

Maud, as she was pulling a fine specimen of a metamorphic rock out of the yard, merely glanced up at the moon, and mumbled, "I wonder what a moon rock is like."

Pinkamena was lying on her back in the grass. "I wonder what it's like actually being on the moon."

Cheese wanted to joke that the moon was made of cheese, but he held his tongue, feeling that they wouldn't be too fond of a quip like that. With a sigh, he continued to connect stars into a silly shape. He found himself connecting stars to form… a five-pointed star. Taking another bite of his pie, he looked at the twins, who had already passed a hundred.

"One hundred and one…"

"One hundred and two…"

"One hundred and three…"

"One hundred and four…"

"Wait, didn't we already count that one?"

"Idared! You'll make me lose count!"

Cheese finished the last of his pie, and stood up. "Well, I guess I'll just take my plate back inside."

He climbed onto the porch, passing Cortland in the rocking chair. He tried to ignore that icy stare, which frightened him even more than Pinkamena's did. He opened the door and slipped inside, interrupting the conversation taking place between the Pie parents and the Apple parents. They all turned to look at him.

"Oh, don't mind me. I just finished my pie."

Blossom smiled. "Coming in for seconds?"

"No, I'm full, but thanks for the offer." Cheese walked into the kitchen and set the dirty plate in the sink. He looked at the pie, which still had enough for four ponies to have seconds, and tried to guess who'd come in for seconds. Then he set off to walk out.

He froze in his tracks when he heard, "Haralson, aren't you worried that he'll get possessive of her?"

"Ah've talked with him, Igneous. Ah told him that 'no means no' and that it's obvious that she ain't interested. He accepted it without complaint."

"Ever crossed your mind that he might be lying just to please you? You saw what he did when we arrived!"

"Igneous, we Apples are an honest bunch. Sure, he slipped, but he told me he'd put in the effort to leave her alone, or at least talk to her like the normal pony she is instead of a mare he's tryin' to woo."

"I'm pretty sure he'll think that if I caved in to your invitation, then she'll cave in to his efforts of courtship. It's obvious he thinks of her as a prize!"

"Whoa, whoa, calm down! Ah'm tellin' him there's plenty of mares in town, and if Pinkamena says no, he should just move on. And yes, he has retorted, 'she's just playing hard to get.'"

"'Hard to get'? She's made no secret that she finds him annoying."

"Ah've noticed."

Cheese decided not to interrupt their conversation again, and he slid out the door in the kitchen that led outside before another word was said.

Once the cool evening air hit him, he sat down and sighed. Was this whole Cortland thing that big a deal? Are they sure they aren't just making a mountain out of a molehill? He shook his head. If Cortland really was trying his best to court Pinkamena, then he was wasting his time. After all, she was a surly and stubborn mare.

Admittedly, she was kind of pretty, especially with her beautiful blue eyes, and she did help him out at times when he needed it, though it was just because she pitied him, he was sure. But Cheese still thought that trying to pursue her would only lead to a dead end.

Suddenly, he felt himself being tackled and wrestled to the ground. Before he had any time to comprehend what was going on, he was thrown into a tree. His head hit the trunk and he could hear a _thud_ between his ears. Gritting his teeth, he had barely cracked open his eyes when he was pinned to the very same tree. Of course, his vision was blurry, meaning that his glasses had flown off somewhere between the tackle and being pinned to the tree.

"So… workin' for Igneous Rock?"

That was Cortland's voice. Cheese found himself with a lack of surprise.

"That must mean yer around the Pie sisters all day…"

"Yeah?" Cheese replied. "So?"

"Hmph." Cortland dropped Cheese, who still was against the tree. "It seems you have yer pick of Maud, Marble, and Limestone."

Cheese rubbed his head. "Excuse me, but—"

Cortland stomped on Cheese's tail, and had brought his face too close for comfort, especially since hot air blew out of his nostrils and onto Cheese's face. "Just don't touch Pinkamena."

Cheese squeezed his eyes shut and turned away. "Okay, first off, I'm their temporary brother. Igneous told me that wooing any one of his daughters is off limits. And second of all, last time I checked, Pinkamena is not yours. Heck, she doesn't even like you!"

Cortland chuckled. "She's just playin' hard ta get. She knows Ah like a good challenge."

"Good challenge, my hoof. You're just obsessed."

Cortland drew away, much to Cheese's relief. "Hm, yer right… maybe Ah am. Ah mean, pink just stands out at that rock farm, and it don't hurt that she's a lovely little thing. Years on that rock farm have made her mighty curvy, don't ya think?"

"Umm…"

"But ya still need ta heed mah words. Ah don't want to see no contact that Ah'll see as lovey-dovey."

Cheese rolled his eyes. "No lovey-dovey looks from me. I'm just staying as long as I need to."

"Good… very good. Ah'll win her over; you'll see."

_And I'll become an alicorn princess,_ Cheese thought. "Okay... where did my glasses go?"

"Oh?"

Cheese felt the glasses being placed on his muzzle, and he blinked a few times to adjust. Looking up at Cortland's face, he stood up, brushed his poncho off, and then started to walk away. "Thank you. Now, I suspect that we're going soon."

With a smirk, Cortland asked, "So… yer a wanderer?"

"Uh… yeah?"

Cortland shook his head and clicked his tongue. "Don't that mean yer family don't love you? Or do you even have a family?"

Cheese froze mid-step. He felt an icy coldness in his belly, and he looked down, pawing at the ground. His mouth was shut as tightly as possible, and his breaths came in quick, but heavy spurts. Part of him wanted to lash out at the other pony for saying that, but another part just felt like turning to stone.

Cortland chuckled. "Well… either way, you just don't belong anywhere."

With that, he went inside, and Cheese took heavy steps forward, taking his sweet time returning to the front yard. He hoped that Igneous and Haralson would just finish their conversation soon so they could get going. He just wanted to head back to the rock farm and curl up in his bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we have the "dinner with the Apple family" chapter!
> 
> So, the tale that Cheese recounted? It's based on a true story, involving real life horses. No, it was not in my local news; see, growing up, my family owned horses, and the incidents occurred several years ago, with the victim being my uncle's unfortunate calf. The horse that lashed out was supposed to be gelded, and well… it was done… improperly by the previous owner (and yes, we put the horse down).
> 
> And we didn't notice that our replacement mare (bought after the whole calf incident) had been pregnant the whole time we had her, until she was very close to the due date (a person with more horse knowledge than us noticed in time for everyone involved to prepare for the arrival).
> 
> The resulting colt grew up to be quite the handsome horse, but we sadly lost him when he was four. :(
> 
> Real life is stranger than fiction.


	15. In Town

The tick tock of the old grandfather clock in the corner matched his heartbeat. The rug under his body was soft to the touch, but it didn't erase the feel of the hard floor on his back. He stared up at the ceiling with a half-lidded expression, holding both a sense of boredom and sadness.

He was home alone. Everypony else was busy, with work, a doctor's appointment, and time with friends.

Must be nice to have a friend. If only he wasn't so invisible to all but a few, and those few were those he didn't want to be around. The bruises and cuts he'd come home with were proof enough of that.

Even fewer were those he'd allow to come close. Unfortunately, they were either deceased, or in the case of one, surrounded by ponies that scared him. Sometimes they were even brought home.

The colt rubbed his eyes and yawned. Bothered whenever he wanted to be alone. Ignored whenever he wanted company. It was such a frustrating and depressing enigma.

His usual method of alleviating his boredom was in his room, in a case clasped shut and under his bed. However, he hardly felt like moving. He just wanted to lay there, lost in his thoughts, and count the ticks of the clock that would definitely ring in his ears for years to come.

He closed his eyes, hoping a nap would shake off his feeling of loneliness.

However, his eyes snapped open when he felt himself starting to sink. He attempted to bolt upward, but the rug was clinging onto him, refusing to leave the floor. Fight as he might, he couldn't escape, and the rug had turned into a ruthless combination of a tar pit and quicksand. As the rug continued to swallow him, he could only scream.

When he had been completely swallowed, he found himself in a dark void, the rug above him his only source of light, though it was very dim. Panting, he clutched and stroked his tail in a fruitless attempt to comfort himself. The low murmur of voices echoed around him, and he felt as if there was something watching him.

Above him, he could hear the door open, and the _clip clop_ of hooves walking in the door. He could hear a mare's voice muttering under her breath, but it was unmistakable just who it was.

"Mom!" he cried. "Mom, Mom, help! I'm stuck in the floor!"

A second set of hooves walked in, and this time he heard a stallion's voice murmuring about work. Hearing this, the colt shouted, "Dad! Dad, help! Get me out of here!"

He heard a third, smaller set of hooves bouncing around, this time coming from a chattering foal. With gritted teeth, the colt jumped up and banged on the dim square above him, shouting the foal's name and demanding assistance. He jumped a second time, shouting the name again. He jumped some more times, crying for his parents and sibling to help him, but to no avail.

He landed on his rump after the final jump. He looked up one last time, and then hung his head. Tears streamed down his muzzle, and soft hiccups accompanied those tears. He hugged his tail again, and croaked, "Help…"

Suddenly, behind him a voice clucked, "Well, well, well…"

He gasped and spun around to see the silhouette of a stallion. Staring at the stallion, the colt was at a loss for words, but his eyes did the talking, asking the other pony what he was talking about.

"Your family doesn't love you."

The colt stood up and backed away, shaking his head.

"Imagine that. Now what is it about you they don't like? The way you look? The way you act? Or perhaps you're just a little wimp and crybaby. Such a poor excuse for a colt."

"Please… no more…"

"Whatever the case, you didn't belong with them. Shame that you don't belong anywhere else, either."

The colt attempted a yell, only for nothing to come out. He looked down at his hooves, and to his horror, they were fading. He turned his head, and discovered that his tail was fading as well. He was quick to realize that his entire body was fading away, and he was frozen stiff, his face etched with terror as he looked up at the other pony.

The stallion chuckled. "I guess you're better off disappearing."

* * *

_"NO!"_ Cheese cried.

"No, what?"

Cheese's eyes snapped open, and he instinctively reached for his glasses. Once he put them on, he saw Pinkamena in the doorway. Blinking, he realized that he was back in his room at the rock farm, and he glanced at the bare wooden walls. He looked down at the quilt, and stroked it gently.

He rubbed his eye. "It was… just a dream."

"Huh." Pinkamena dragged her hoof on the floor, and then stepped on a creaky board. "You're going to town today."

"Huh? Why? What's the occasion?"

"The mice got our food, remember?"

"How could I forget? Some of those things bit me."

"I've heard your yelps from the kitchen. Anyway, we figured now's a good a time as any to get you to pull the cart, send you to town, and replace the food we lost to those rodents."

Cheese tilted his head. "Wait… I have to pull the cart?"

Pinkamena gave him a hard stare. "Did I stutter? Anyway, Marble's going to accompany you."

Cheese climbed out of bed and stretched. "Well… it's nice to know that I'm not going by myself. But does Igneous really trust me alone with one of his daughters?"

"Oh, don't worry. I think he knows now that you don't think that way."

* * *

Marble strolled beside the cart, coaching Cheese on navigating the rocky path to town. Hitched to the cart, he found himself stumbling more than weaving, and the bumping of the cart made his stomach lurch, though he was not riding in it. He felt like panicking on more than one occasion, especially after a couple of bumps that nearly tipped over the cart. However, Marble continued to remind him that panicking would only make things worse, and made sure to keep the cart right side up.

They stopped at the railroad, hearing the whistle of the train that was ready to roll out of the station. The chugging of the locomotive beginning the next leg of its journey filled the air, and soon the pair's view was filled with train car after train car.

Cheese was idly counting the cars when Marble asked, "Have you ever ridden a train?"

Cheese cursed under his breath about having lost count. He turned to the gray mare, and answered, "Plenty of times."

"Huh. Did you pay for a ticket or stow away?"

"I've done both. Unfortunately, I've done the latter more often." He put his foreleg on his forehead and tilted his head dramatically. "Curse me and my criminal ways."

Marble scrunched her muzzle in response. Cheese swore that he could see a tiny ghost of a smile on her face, but for all he knew, it could just be his eyes fooling him. After all, the Pies never smiled, and he couldn't see that changing anytime soon.

The train passed, and they crossed the tracks into town.

Their first stop was the dry goods store, and Marble went in to purchase the grains they needed, leaving Cheese to watch the cart. While left alone, Cheese looked at the scene before him. There were a lot of ponies out and about, and he could hear the chatters of several different pairs. The laughter of playing foals rang in the air, and warm smiles were upon most of the faces. He adopted the same expression, and beamed at a pair of fillies in a chase past the cart.

That's when a couple of mares, a blue pegasus and a red unicorn, made their way to him. He looked up at them in surprise, wondering why two strangers approached him out of the blue.

"Uh… can I help you?"

The two mares scanned his body up and down, and pursed their lips. Then, the blue one said to her companion, "He's awfully tall, Scarlet. Just like Blossom said."

Scarlet nodded. "Indeed, Sky. And thin as a rail."

Cheese blinked. "Um… yeah, I've known that for a while now…"

The two ignored his statement, and Sky asked him, "So, what is it like working alongside the Pie mares?"

"Oh? Well… it's kinda sorta dirty, and boring, and hard… I ache a lot… but in a strange way I can't explain, it's sort of satisfying."

"So…" Scarlet said. "Do you fancy any of the Pies?"

Cheese sighed and shook his head._ Make assumptions, why don't ya? I feel like I'm in some corny romance novel,_ he thought.

Sky jumped, her wings spreading and keeping her aloft. "Oh! Let me guess! Is it Marble?"

Obviously the first guess had to be the Pie sister he was currently in town with. Did they not see him shake his head or did they misinterpret it? "No, I've been thinking of her as a sister of sorts. Nothing romantic there, honest."

Sky descended and touched down on the ground, a disappointed pout on her face. Scarlet chuckled and said, "Well, then, it must be Limestone."

Cheese shook his head. "Nope. Same deal as Marble."

The mares glanced at each other uneasily, and tentatively asked in unison, "…Maud?"

Cheese furrowed his brow and tapped his chin. He shook his head, although he did not know how to explain just want kind of relationship he and Maud had. It seemed like a stone-faced acquaintanceship, where it wasn't necessarily a dislike of each other, but just a mere tolerance.

"So… Pinkamena?"

He knew that name had been coming next, but the apprehension on their faces bothered him. Was this about Cortland? He figured they were worried about the Apple stallion getting jealous of "competition," even though Cheese had no interest in pursuing a romance with Pinkamena.

In fact, his actual relationship with her was… what was it? From what the past few weeks told him, it seemed like a strict mother relationship, yet it seemed also like a bossy older sister relationship as well. He felt tidbits of how he felt about Marble and Limestone, as well as how he felt about Maud, toward her. But there was something else there as well. There was something about her that produced warmth inside him, something that made her stand out. Something that he couldn't quite explain, but he could feel that it was there, hidden under that grumpy exterior.

He shook his head. "Nah, she's… she's just… ugh, she's like a sister, okay? I'm their 'temporary brother', and that's how far it'll go."

The mares glanced at each other, and Scarlet stepped forward. "All right… just as long as you don't give the town any ideas about a love triangle going on, you hear?"

Cheese groaned. "There's none of that. In fact, Pinkamena isn't even interested in Cortland. She actually finds him annoying."

"You're just saying that."

"No, I'm serious."

"Serious about what?" Marble asked as she walked out of the store, a bag of flour mounted on her back. She was followed by a couple of stallions carrying bags of other goods, who were just as curious about the conversation.

Cheese winced, not wanting to bring up the whole Cortland situation to Marble. Especially after the unpleasant encounter he had with him. He was thankful that there was minimal damage to his body and that Cortland had left his glasses intact, but Cheese had a gut feeling that the next time the Apple got violent, he wouldn't be so merciful.

Then Sky piped in, "He says that your sister's not interested in Cortland."

Marble rolled her eyes. "Well, she isn't. Don't listen to rumors, girls."

"Oh, but they're so juicy!"

"They're also lies most of the time. Now, shoo, we're grocery shopping." Marble waved her hoof forward, indicating that she had enough of their presence.

The two left with a huff, and Marble and the stallions loaded the dry goods into the cart. Once that was done, Cheese hauled the now heavier cart and followed Marble to the produce stalls.

* * *

Pinkamena and Limestone carried their buckets, their teeth having a tight hold on the handles. They traveled across the fields and into the woods. They didn't say a word as they turned to reach a closer bend of the river. After all, fetching water for the trough shouldn't be worth a mile into the forest.

The air was permeated by the melody that the birds sang. And while it was quite beautiful to Limestone's ears, it was a familiar song to Pinkamena's. Of course, telling Limestone that she recognized the tune would earn a funny look from her. It was no song that their Granny had sung to them; it was just a tune that popped into Pinkamena's head one day and had been stuck there ever since.

"What are you humming?" Limestone asked.

Oops. She hadn't even felt the hum buzz in her throat, let alone heard it. She had only meant to hum it when she was alone, and when she was sure no one else would hear.

She sighed. "It's just a random song."

Limestone tilted her head and blinked. "You were humming… I haven't heard you hum in a long time…"

Pinkamena snorted, and pointed before them to drop the subject. "There's the river, let's fetch the water."

They trotted toward the river, bent down, and drew water from it. As they turned around to bring it home, Limestone asked, "Can you sing like you used to when we were little fillies?"

"Psh, I doubt it."

"Have you tried?"

"No, but what's the point? The rock farm's no place for a song."

"I suppose so."

They were silent for the rest of the way back, as well as the subsequent trips to fetch more water. And though the subject had been dropped, Pinkamena could still hear the cheery tune in her head. For some reason, it was commanding her to do something, but she couldn't catch just what the command was.

* * *

"Whew! This thing's getting really heavy!"

"You think that's heavy? Try hauling rocks. Anyway, last stop for today."

Last stop. Cheese was glad that they were almost finished, though he hated how much weight the cart had gained with all the food that they had bought. His muscles were aching and his coat was damp with sweat. He just knew that once they were back at the rock farm, he'll be dunking his head in the trough.

Marble exchanged bits for cabbages from Mr. Green, placed them in the cart, and then they set off for the rock farm. Cheese's head was hung low, and he plodded along with a tired sway.

He picked up on Marble muttering, "3… 2… 1…" before a crash sounded behind them, and Mr. Green shouted, "D'oh, not again!"

He glanced behind the cart to find that the stall they had just left was smashed. A band of foals with a wagon grinned sheepishly at the distraught owner as he raved at them.

"Yeah…" Marble said. "That stall is wrecked every time we visit town, perhaps even more. I don't understand why Mr. Green has that constant misfortune."

"Well, that must sti—duck!"

They had been passing by the saloon, and a bottle had been ejected from the doors at breakneck speed. Both Marble and Cheese had ducked, and the bottle whizzed above their heads and shattered on the candy shop door. Moments later, Lemon Drop poked his head out, and groaned upon seeing shattered glass at the doorstep.

"Sugar, could you get the broom and dustpan? I think there's a bar brawl again!"

Cheese's eyes widened at the phrase "bar brawl." He jumped to his feet and resumed walking, attempting to put in a faster pace. Marble stood up as well, and walked beside him, telling him, "Okay, once we cross the railroad, I'll haul the cart and you make sure nothing falls out."

"Got it."

Suddenly a boisterous voice rang from the saloon. "Hey, hey, hey, it's Toothpick again!"

Cheese squeezed his eyes shut and gritted his teeth. _Oh no… what is he still doing here?_

Marble raised an eyebrow. "Uh… Toothpick?"

Cheese rubbed one of his temples. "My nickname."

Sure enough, that familiar brown-coated, green-maned stallion made his way in front of the two, bearing an ugly grin at he stared straight at Cheese. "I haven't seen you for a long time! How is life going? Didya get a job?"

Cheese averted his gaze. "It's none of your business."

"Whaddya mean? Aren't we friends, Toothpick?"

"No."

"No? What makes you say that?"

"I don't ever recall you being friendly toward me."

"What?! You liar! You're the one avoiding my gestures! I don't even know your real name!"

"I'm not complaining."

"Aww… what, ol' Riffraff not good enough to hear the birth name of the little Toothpick?"

_So his name is Riffraff?_ Cheese glanced at Marble, who was unsure about this smelly stallion in front of them. He silently wished that she'd just knock him under the jaw and then they could skedaddle.

Before they knew it, the rest of Riffraff's gang were blocking their way, looking upon the two with sleazy expressions. They glanced between the two and their cart of food, their eyes full of anticipation. There were dirty chuckles coming from a couple of them, and some whistled derisively.

"I wonder if these are the same scum that stole food from the cart a few weeks back," Marble grumbled.

Cheese knew that they were, but he didn't say. He was just really uncomfortable with the profane things that the group was saying in front of them. He caught some chatter about Marble being his special somepony, which frankly, she wasn't. From the annoyed look on her face, he could tell she was tired of this bunch, whether or not she heard that statement.

The group came closer, and the two backed up. It was then that their leader said, "Yanno, if she's your marefriend, why don'tcha prove it to us, right here, right now?"

Cheese turned red at that idea. "We never said we were—"

It was then that a stick from above came down hard on Riffraff's head with a _whack._ Riffraff cried out and fell onto his rump, groaning. The rest stared at him for a moment, and then looked up at the source of the stick. It had been a broomstick, and a pregnant pegasus, clearly straining to stay aloft, was wielding it.

Cheese heard Lemon Drop yell, "Sugar! You know what the doctor said about flying!"

The white mare touched down and was panting. She dropped her broomstick and growled to the group, "Leave them be."

Riffraff's right hand colt laughed and replied, "Or what?"

Marble stepped forward. "Trust me on this, you don't mess with a Pie."

"Uh… mess with a pie? What's so threatening about a pastry?"

"No, I mean my family. As a Pie, I can crush you easily. Let me give you a little object lesson…" She swiped a rock the size of an orange from the street, uncaring of the crowd that was gathering. She placed it in front of her, looked up to see if they were watching, and stomped on it, crushing it like it was nothing. She watched their jaws drop, and she continued, "See? Now, I'm sure you don't want me to do that to any of you."

The group of stallions shook their heads. Cheese wondered if they were thinking of when Pinkamena took one down with a simple kick, and they didn't dare mess with another mare like her. At least Marble was giving them a warning.

"Good. Now shoo," she said, her gaze falling into a glare.

And with that, the group disbanded, another mare having been added to their "must avoid" list. Marble snorted, and looked at Sugar. In seconds, Lemon had galloped to his wife's side, and was stroking her wavy red hair.

"Sweetheart, don't ever do that again!" he cried.

"I'm sorry… it's just that folks like that make me so… so… _mad_," Sugar replied. "I guess I wasn't thinking. I could have been caught in a big mess had this Pie Sister not given her object lesson."

"Um… my name's Marble."

"Oh, Marble, yes, thank you. So, Cheese, how's the rock farm going for you?"

Cheese rubbed the back of his head. "Oh, fine, really. Had a couple of surprises here and there, but for the most part, it's just moving rocks."

"Oh, okay, okay."

Lemon shifted his hooves. "Well, we'll just go back to the shop. Take care, you two!"

As he and Sugar left, Marble and Cheese watched them, the latter waving goodbye to them. Marble blinked, and asked, "Okay, how do they know you?"

Cheese glanced at her. "Oh, I met them when I stumbled into town. Sugar took me to their home, fed and bathed me, and then she suggested I work at the rock farm. Simple as that."

"Uh-huh…"

They stared at each other awkwardly for a moment, before shrugging and heading out of town.


	16. Quite a Silly Story

Cheese marched into his room after yet another hard day of work. Aching numbness was gripping his legs once again, but he had learned to pay little heed to it. He had wondered if that meant that he was building muscle, though his legs were still sticks. Pulling the cart into town and hauling it until the return trip—after which Marble took over due to the bumpy road—contributed to this feeling. As did more work with the rocks. Ending the day sore had become expected, and for however long it took, Cheese was going to experience it every day. Well, almost every day.

Just before he and Marble left town, they had caught the weather report. Rain was scheduled on sporadic days for the next month, due to too many rainclouds having come from Cloudsdale. A couple days of rain and a couple days of sunshine was going to be the norm for Nickerlite , and the weather had to be managed carefully in order to keep the town from flooding. The clouds were to be spread out from the Apples' farm to the Pies', they had heard.

The first rain was scheduled for a couple days, and Igneous was breaking out the tarp for his delivery trip coming up. The older stallion had grumbled about how he hated rain and mud, and how hard it was to work in those conditions.

Cheese wondered if the rain affected the rocks and their "ripening" in any way. He was about to consult the books on the subject when he noticed five bits on his nightstand, lying on top of a small slip of paper. Curious, Cheese approached the nightstand, slipped the paper from under the bits, and read the note.

_Glad he didn't propose. Unfortunately, I owe you these._

There was no name signed, so Cheese just stared at the note in confusion.

"Huh? I don't remember anypony owing me anything. And… propose?" He read the note again and again, wondering what in the hay it meant, until it had finally hit him. And when it did, he rubbed his muzzle and chuckled.

"Okay, okay, I get it. Gee, didn't expect her to actually pay me." He laughed softly for a few moments, and sighed. He sat on his bed, and read the note over and over, the word "propose" sticking to his mind. However, that fact that it did made him frown, and he recalled the encounter the night before.

He eyes still glued to the note, Cheese shook his head. "I'm glad he didn't, too. Why are those townsfolk so excited about that anyway?"

The weather report was not the only thing that he and Marble had picked up on. He recalled pony after pony approaching them, asking about the same thing: How was Cheese's presence going to affect the relationship of Cortland and Pinkamena? And every time, the two had to shoot it down, telling them that Cheese could not jeopardize a courtship that did not exist. Frankly, it was really annoying.

The fact that Cortland was trying to woo Pinkamena and the possessiveness that he had displayed both scared and angered Cheese. His mane was bristling at the fact that the Apple stallion was turning a blind eye to her repeated refusals and obvious dislike of him. Couldn't that idiot just give up already? And yet, there were several questions that brought on sickening answers: What if she was interested in another? What would happen to the so-called "competition"? And what would happen if Cortland did succeed in courting Pinkamena and ended up marrying her? Cheese's heart sank at the thought of her as a mere trophy handed over as a reward for a difficult task.

He spotted a pair of heads in the doorway from the corner of his eye. He turned and smiled at Marble and Limestone. "Are you here for another story?"

Before he knew it, the two had settled onto the floor before him, that familiar curiosity gleaming in their eyes. He chuckled, glad that even with any doubts of whether or not the stories were true, they were still willing to listen to them. He tapped his chin, pondering which story he should tell them next.

He thought of one and opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a third set of hooves walking in. He turned with a start, and jumped when he saw that Pinkamena had walked in.

Glancing between Cheese and her sisters, she asked, "What are you doing?"

He glanced at the other two and bit his lip. As far as he knew, she had only heard only one of his stories, and that was at the Apple's dinner table. She had been sour the whole time due to sitting at the same table with her least favorite pony, and Cheese found himself a little disappointed that there was no reaction to the story from her. But he was also worried that she thought it too ridiculous to even be remotely true.

Limestone piped up, "He's telling us a story."

Pinkamena blew hair out of her face and raised an eyebrow at Cheese. "Huh. Really?"

Cheese rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah… really."

Pinkamena stood silent for a moment, and then walked to where Marble and Limestone were sitting, and then took a seat beside them. She looked up expectantly, and waved a hoof for him to continue.

Cheese blinked. She was interested? Since when? He briefly wondered if the mare sitting there was actually a changeling, and that the real Pinkamena was already in bed or reading downstairs. No matter, he wasn't going to let his story go to waste.

"All right… this is a good one. It's the day I witnessed a Goof Off."

The three Pie sisters blinked in confusion. Pinkamena narrowed her eyes and asked, "What in the hay is a Goof Off?"

"A Goof Off is a competition where two ponies have to be as ridiculous as possible in order to one up each other. And let me tell you, the one I witnessed was insane! There was singing, magic tricks, stunts you'd see in a circus, and stuff you'd never think a pony would do. Now, I can't remember what the two ponies had been fighting about, and I'm pretty sure that they so caught up in the Goof Off that they forgot.

"Anyway, after the announcer read off the rules, the competition began. It all started with some silly faces and weird tricks with their bodies. One scrunched his face to a degree I cannot imitate, and the other balanced herself on her tongue. He forced his mane into a cone shape without even touching it, and she flared her nostrils as she inflated her head."

"Inflated her head?" Marble asked.

"I'm not joking; she literally inflated her head."

"Is that even possible?" Limestone said.

Cheese shrugged. "I've heard that there are some ponies who can do weird things. They tend to be a bit… crazy."

The Pie sisters looked between each other, sporting odd looks at that statement. When they looked at Cheese again, he took that as a cue to continue.

"Next thing I know is that they burst out in song, singing a silly little ditty about… um… what was it—oh, yeah, birthday cake! It was such a catchy tune that everypony just started to sing along. And somehow, the cake joined in with the singing too… though it may have just been a trick. Heck, I still have that song stuck in my head!

_"Chocolate, yellow, red velvet_

_Angel, ice cream, and funfetti_

_All those flavors this cake has_

_As it sparkles under the confetti!"_

Pinkamena was not so much focused on the words or the tune as she was at Cheese's singing voice. If his speaking voice made her feel warm, then his singing was making her heart race. For some reason, she found herself curious as to how her singing voice would sound like with his.

Cheese continued to sing. _"Eating this cake is like a party on your tongue_

_And you will shout for joy until you hurt your lungs_

_I guarantee it is a ride that you won't soon forget_

_Because this little ditty is now stuck in your head!"_

Cheese flashed a grin at his audience, who were staring at him with wide eyes. Strangely enough, he could see their muzzles scrunched up, and the corners of their mouths were tight. He scratched his head, wondering just what the girls were doing with their mouths.

"Well… anyway, they sang that song over and over, pulled parade floats out of nowhere, blasted each other with confetti, had an accordion fight, made rubber chickens explode—which made me sad, because I grabbed one and wanted to keep it… but it exploded in my face."

"So, balloons and streamers were flying everywhere, confetti was pouring out of the sky, and music was filling the air, all because these two crazy ponies were having a spat. I have never seen a fight like it, and I don't think I'll ever see another."

"So how did it end?" Limestone asked.

"Hmm… if I recall correctly, the mare was balancing on a giant ball when she hit a bump and fell off. And just her luck, she fell into a mud puddle. The stallion had stopped whatever he was doing, and rushed to her side, asking if she was all right. After a little mushy conversation that I can't remember and a kiss between them, they called the whole thing off. Turns out… they were married."

"Wait, so that whole thing was an argument between a married couple?" Marble questioned.

"Yeah, it was. Don't know if it was about leaving the toilet seat up or finances, but it was strange how it escalated into the Goof Off. And it terrified half of the ponies there. I guess they thought that two ponies of that skillset being married would cause Equestria to collapse. At least the couple made up."

Cheese turned to Pinkamena, who had a clear look of astonishment on her face. He could see the curiosity gleaming in her eyes, and the bright blue of her irises resembled a crystal clear lake that he'd be willing to swim in. He stopped and stared into them, taking in the childlike innocence that those orbs did bear.

It wasn't long before her face was back into its usual scowl. "There is no way in Equestria anything like that could ever happen."

Cheese sighed. "I figured you wouldn't believe it. I could hardly believe it myself when I witnessed it."

Pinkamena stood up. "Why do you insist on telling these tall tales?"

_They're not tall tales, they really happened._ Cheese laid down on his bed and strummed his distinguished forelock curl. "I guess… I just want life here to be a little less dull. Well, without Diamond Dogs and mouse invasions."

Marble shuddered at the latter thing, while Limestone rolled her eyes at her. They stood up as well, and turned to Pinkamena.

"There's no harm in listening to any stories he wants to tell," Marble said.

Pinkamena huffed. "I suppose not. He's not the only one who's not fond of the everyday dullness here." She glanced at the money on the nightstand. "Make good use of those bits. I've never been so happy to lose a bet in my life."

Cheese raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me, but I never bet anything."

"I would have taken five bits from your pay."

"…you little jerk."

Pinkamena rolled her eyes in response. She had been called worse by townsfolk whenever she refused Cortland's advances. She could roll them off fairly easily.

"Well, considering how dark it is outside, I say we go to bed," Limestone said.

"Yeah," Marble mumbled. She looked at Cheese, and tilted her head. "I have to admit, that story you told was actually quite interesting. Although… we've never actually been to a… 'party.' We've read about them, and have been told about them, but…"

"It's not the same as actually attending one? Yeah, I know. My first party was after I earned my cutie mark. And don't bother asking for that story, it's kind of boring."

"Maybe someday we could see one for ourselves," Limestone said.

Pinkamena sighed. "I don't think that's anytime soon. Now, let's just get some sleep."

Marble and Limestone nodded and left the room. As Pinkamena was following them, Cheese sat up. "Wait."

She turned to him. "What?"

"Pinkamena, I… I'm glad you decided to come in and listen to my story. Even if you didn't believe it, I could tell you found it interesting."

She looked down at the floor, and brushed her hoof on the floorboards. "Well… you're right about that." She glanced at his face, which bore a warm smile that made her cheeks feel hot, and looked away. "If you've been to someplace like, say, Manehattan, be sure to tell us the story."

The warm smile fell into a cold frown. Cheese looked down at the quilt, and said in a low voice, "No, never been there in my life. I have no story to tell."

Pinkamena looked up in surprise as Cheese slipped himself under the covers. He removed his glasses, set them on the nightstand, and grumbled, "Good night," as he turned off his lamp.

She left the room and shut the door quietly. She stood there, staring at the door, her brow furrowed. This was the third time she had seen him so cold and reticent, and the fourth time overall. It was a little jarring considering how sweet he usually was. And though it wasn't any of her business, she couldn't help but wonder what happened in his colthood.

There was no doubt in her mind that he was hiding something.


	17. Curiosity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I should give you guys a reminder that this fic was written back in 2014, thus, before the episode "Hearthbreakers". So, please forgive me for a couple things not quite lining up with canon (other than the obvious AU stuff I was going for).

Igneous Rock set off on his delivery trip, heading for a town in need of some gravel for pavement and to trade some gems for bits. Cloudy had told him to take care and make sure he didn't strain himself. After all, strong as he was, he had to be reminded that his rock-breaking days were over, and though he could still haul rocks, an injury was still possible.

He could have had any one of his daughters do the job, but the part of him that wanted to resist aging urged him to not take the easy way out. After all, he was still capable of making the trip, why sit it out?

He briefly looked back at the others, who stood at the door and watched him as he left. He had no doubt that the girls could watch the rock farm; they've done it plenty of times before. They had the extra task of keeping the hired hoof out of trouble, which shouldn't be too hard for them.

Igneous noted the increasing interest that his daughters--sans Maud--were having for Cheese. Being a pony who traveled Equestria, they were probably prodding him for stories of places they had never been. The one that he had told at the Apples' dinner table was interesting in its own right, so he couldn't blame them for wanting more. He could have sworn he had heard him singing the night before, with a strange vigor that reminded him of when Granny Pie would sing to the girls when they were small fillies.

There was a part of him that still worried that the character Cheese projected was all pretense. He pushed that worry to the back of his mind, reminding himself that the colt hadn't done anything to break his trust so far. He did as he was told, managed to contribute to repelling trespassers big and small, and hardly complained about his job.

Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that the interest that the younger three mares were having would end up with at least one having some sort of infatuation for him. The question was who it would be if it was just one.

He sighed, and continued to plod along. He hated thinking about that. He looked up at the sky, and saw the pegasi placing the first rainclouds over Nickerlite. With a furrowed brow, he was reminded that he hated rain as well.

* * *

After a couple days of rock farming, the rain came down.

Rock farming in the rain was not a pleasant experience. The mud tended to be slippery, and that made way for ponies to slip and injure themselves on the rocks, as well as scatter them when carrying them. The cart wasn't there that day, but if it was, then pulling it around while it showered would be no picnic either. That was without taking into account that rain disrupted the ripening of the rocks, so things would be slower even without the inconvenience of mud.

So, when the rain came down, Cheese and the Pie mares were inside the house, doing housework. The floor in the kitchen and living room was swept and the furniture dusted, and as Cloudy mopped the already swept floor, the sisters dealt with sweeping the upstairs, and Cheese passed the time by checking on the grains in the cellar and putting rat poison near every hole he could find.

"Shame that we have to kill the little critters," Cheese murmured, having finished placing the poison. "If only someone in this house had a talent with animals."

He turned his attention to the grains, having been bought by Marble a few days back. He reviewed his mental checklist as he checked each bag and barrel a second time, searching for any mice that may have snuck in. The flour was rodent-free. As were the oats. As were the other things that were stored in the cellar. He approached the hay bales in the corner, and kicked them to scare any mice that housed themselves in there. To his relief, there were none.

He backed up and bumped the shelf that held the rock collection. He turned with a jerk, his heart skipping a beat as he watched a few of the rocks tumble off. He breathed a sigh of relief when the rocks were undamaged by the fall, and he quickly set them back in their places.

He caught the bookshelf in the corner of his eye. He slowly turned his head toward it as he backed away from the rocks' shelf. He turned and approached it, a curious expression gracing his features.

He stopped just short of bumping into it, and glanced at each one of the few books that were resting on it. After a few moments, he reached out and pulled a book from it. He did so a little too quickly, making dust billow around him and setting off a chain of sneezes.

After the dust had settled and Cheese had let out a few strong sneezes, he wiped his nose and sat down. He set the book on the cold floor, and opened to the first page.

Realization that it was a photo album quickly set in as he stared at a photo of a younger Igneous Rock and Cloudy Quartz as a newly wedded couple. Soft subtle smiles were gracing both of their faces, and they were leaning against each other with eyes full of bliss. Seeing this was a surprise for Cheese, having mainly seen impassive faces, scowls, and every minor expression in between.

He turned the page, seeing more of the couple in the early years of their marriage. They were mostly doing work with the rocks and reading books, but he could still see that love in their eyes. Scratching his head, Cheese wondered if it was still there, or it was just a lot more subtle.

_Were my parents like that when they first married?_ This question in his mind surprised him. Usually the thoughts of his own parents were about whether or not they noticed he was gone, and if they missed him. He had never thought about their marriage.

He turned the page once again, finding a couple of pictures of a pregnant Cloudy Quartz, and then seeing one of her holding a newborn filly. He read the writing below it, which told him that the filly was Maud. He turned a few more pages, glancing between each picture of little Maud learning the basics of rock farming, until he came across a page where she was being introduced to her baby sister, Pinkamena.

He chuckled, wondering what Igneous and Cloudy thought when that daughter came out pink. Of course, seeing a couple of older mares in the picture, one of whom was pink, he dropped the thought quickly.

It was awfully strange to see any of the Pies smiling. It was especially strange to see a small Maud smiling at the sight of her newborn sister. Still, their smiles paled in comparison to baby Pinkamena's, which made her coat brighter and her blue eyes gleam. As he stared at the tiny foal in Cloudy's forelegs, he could hear her cooing, and he felt the desire to hold her.

He gently stroked a hoof over the picture. "What would it look like if she smiled now?"

He continued to stare at it, still enchanted by the little foal Pinkamena's apparent joy at being born and Maud's reaction to her sibling. His heart sank a little when he realized that this picture was awfully similar to one back at home. He mainly focused on the two fillies, seeing in his mind's eye himself in Maud's place and his younger brother in Pinkamena's.

He sighed and stared at the wall. The last time they talked had been long ago, and it was not a pleasant memory. He wondered if he had been too harsh that day, and if he should have stuck around to at least let him apologize for that final straw, if the little colt had been willing to apologize at all. And then it hit him that his brother was not little anymore.

_I wonder what kind of stallion he grew up to be,_ he thought. _How is he doing? Does he ever think of me?_

He shook his head. His brother most likely moved on with his life and was surely on his way to success. After all, Cheese was the nopony of the family. There was hardly chance that he'd be missed.

He flipped through the pages, seeing more pictures of rocks, Maud, Pinkamena, and later on, Marble and Limestone. There was the constant presence of the two older mares, who he figured were their grandmothers. It was obvious that the fillies enjoyed them, and it was especially obvious that Pinkamena was the most elated out of all of them. Just seeing those pictures of her smiling made him smile, and he wished he could have met her when she was a happy little filly.

Then, about halfway through the book, there were suddenly no more pictures. Confused, Cheese flipped through the rest, which bore absolutely nothing, with the exception of the final page. In the bottom right corner, there lay little scribbles of a couple of mares with halos over their heads, a sad little filly, and a tiny message scrawled above the drawing:

_"I miss you."_

Cheese stared at those words, and drew his hoof over them. He was silent as the implications of those scribbles sank in. He looked at the drawing of the two mares, one with wings and a curly mane and the other's mane done up in a bun. Then his sights went to the sad filly, who was without doubt the artist who drew it, and he instantly knew who she was.

He sighed and shut the book. He slid it back onto the shelf, thinking about the mare that sad filly was now. He felt like going up and giving her a hug, but there was a pretty good chance that she wouldn't be happy with it.

He glanced at the trunk beside the bookshelf, and discovered that it was locked. He shrugged, figuring that he snooped enough for one day. He stood up, and checked on the grains a third time.

* * *

With a broom in her mouth, Pinkamena marched into Cheese Sandwich's room and began to sweep the dust and dirt that had gathered there in recent days. Part of it was due to him refusing to use the bed during the time when they were filling the holes, since those days had them ending up really dirty and too tired to even take baths. He didn't want to get dirt on his bed, so he settled for the floor during that time.

As she swept, she glanced around his room, which was almost as bare as it had been when he first settled in. The only differences were his glasses case and the sack which held the bits he had gotten so far, which were from her, and perhaps it would be added to soon when her father returned.

She swept the dirt into a pile, and then brushed it into the dustpan. She set aside the broom, picked up the dustpan, and then made her way to the window. She opened it and dumped out the dustpan's contents quickly before the rain made it and her head too wet.

Once she shut the window and set down the dustpan, she plodded toward the nightstand, and took a look at the glasses case. She picked it up and slid her hoof on the smooth exterior. Glancing back at the door, she snapped it open and looked at the velvet inside. She stroked it, noting the mild softness of it.

Then her eyes caught a note stitched on the inside of the case. Curious, she read it.

"'If found, please return to Cheese Sandwich.' Hmph, wouldn't want those glasses to be homeless," she muttered. She read further, and there was an unfamiliar address below the first sentence. She was a bit surprised at coming across the name of the city where it was located.

"…Manehattan? He's from Manehattan?" She had never expected to learn that Cheese was a city boy. Still, it made sense as to why he was suddenly so cold when she had mentioned wanting to hear a story about it. If there were bad memories there, of course he wouldn't want to talk about it. Still, she couldn't help but wonder what happened there.

"Pinkamena? What are you doing?"

She quickly shut the case and spun around. Maud was in the doorway, and Pinkamena could see a bit of suspicion in her eyes. She shifted so her older sister couldn't see the case, but she knew it was fruitless.

Maud blinked. "Don't go through his stuff."

Pinkamena sighed. "There's not much to go through. He only came here with that poncho, his glasses, and the glasses case. Snooping's absolutely useless when it comes to him."

"You still should respect his privacy."

"Maud, what if he was a criminal?"

"Pa knows the smell of a criminal. Cheese wouldn't have been hired."

"Still… aren't you the least bit curious about him?"

"No, I'm not. It's none of our business. Why are you curious about him?"

Pinkamena blew some of her mane out of her face and gazed at the floor. She wanted to retort that she was not the only one fascinated by him; Marble and Limestone had been listening to him tell stories since he arrived. Still, would either of them have tried to glean information from the few possessions he had? Not even a fascination of the places he had been to during his travels could justify that. She bit her lip, her mind drawing a blank as to why.

Maud sighed. "Never mind that. Let's just sweep the next room." She picked up the broom and plodded to the next room.

Pinkamena picked up the dustpan and followed, inwardly breathing a sigh of relief. She thought about the small tidbit that she had learned, and thought about one way it could be useful: should Cheese meet his end in an unfortunate accident, his family or whoever else raised him should at least know.

Still, she wanted to know why he had left Manehattan.


	18. Don't Dilly-Dally

After a couple days of rain, the folks at Nickerlite welcomed the sunshine. Though the streets were muddy, they were at least hard enough for carts to be pulled through. Ponies were out smelling the scent of fresh rainwater, chatting up a storm, and much to the chagrin of every mother, foals were having a blast playing with the mud, from building mud castles to throwing mud balls. There was even one creating a mud angel.

This was the scene Cheese and Pinkamena happened upon on their way to the post office. Their mud-covered hooves carried them past those who stopped in their tracks upon seeing them. They could hear whispers, and the swishing sound of hushed voices was very grating to Pinkamena's ears. They were just there to retrieve letters, which she was sure were just about business with the rocks.

It was unfortunate that all three of her sisters had come down with colds; otherwise Pinkamena would have Maud by her side. Cloudy was tending the sick Pies, and had asked her to retrieve mail from the post office. And argued as she might, Pinkamena was forced to go with the hired hoof, with a saddlebag in tow and the emphasized phrase of "don't dilly-dally," having been told to them as they left.

While he was hardly the fortress that Maud was, at least Cheese was providing her with company. Company usually lessened the chances of somepony bothering her, especially a certain annoying stallion that she was sure the gossipers had mentioned in their whispers. She figured the hushed voices were talking about Cheese infringing on "Cortland's mare", and how he was weak competition compared to the Apple. How many times would she have to repeat that there was nothing romantic going on between any of them? She grinded her teeth at the thought of Haralson failing to properly eradicate the stupid rumors, and was thinking of the older Apple stallion as a pushover.

Still, if there was anything that was true, it's that she was quite comfortable with Cheese. She had come to like how pleasant he was, and there was no denying the strange warmth she felt upon hearing him talk. A story of his could take her out of her troubles, as they were so genuinely entertaining she could pay attention for hours on end, and he always remained polite and receptive to feedback, though he was no stranger to banter.

No doubt about it, his presence was one that she liked; though she was afraid that admitting it would leave it open to misinterpretation. If only there wasn't that tightness that came sporadically at the corners of her mouth whenever he was around. It was irritating, and she couldn't think of any way to fix it.

Cheese was looking around, unnerved by the whispers of the townsfolk. "You sure do inspire a lot of talk, don't you?"

Pinkamena rolled her eyes. "Don't know why he's interested in _me_ of all ponies."

Cheese grimaced and stared into space for a few moments. Then he shook his head, and tapped his chin with a muddy hoof. "Well… part of it may be the mystery surrounding you guys…"

"We farm rocks. There's nothing mysterious about that."

"They don't know that. For all I know, they might think you're an underground criminal organization." He took a swift glance at the townsponies, who now donned horrified expressions.

Pinkamena snorted and shouted, "He's kidding. We're just simple rock farmers, you boneheads."

"Hey…" Cheese crooned. "Be nice…"

"Kind of hard to be that way with a lie floating around. Anyway, I don't see why he is fixated on _me_ out of the four Pie sisters."

"His… uh… favorite color's pink?" Cheese held a sheepish smile as he said this.

Pinkamena put a hoof on her face and shook her head. She continued to walk forward, and Cheese followed silently with an embarrassed flush on his face. As they passed the candy shop, he glanced at the saloon across the street, expecting Riffraff and his gang to waltz out.

Finally, they reached the post office, retrieved the mail, and then turned back around to head back. It was just set to be business as usual, even with suspicious townsponies and their fantasies of a messy love triangle. The trip was meant to be straight to the post office, and straight back to the farm, like Pinkamena's mother expected.

But the pink mare couldn't ignore her sweet tooth. When passing by the candy shop, she suddenly turned and slipped in, leaving a confused Cheese outside until she slipped back out, grabbed his poncho, and yanked him inside.

The stallion blinked in astonishment, before turning his head and raising an eyebrow. Pinkamena growled in response, "Don't tell anypony about this visit." She started to saunter up to the counter.

"Um, okay, but why are in here?"

"I crave something sweet."

"You do? I never really took anypony in the Pie family to like candy."

"News flash, I do. Now, if you desire, you may take your pick."

"Oooh…" Cheese scrambled to the shelves, his eyes filled with childlike wonder at the many different kinds of candy there was. He sat down and scratched his head, muttering, "How am I supposed to choose…?"

Pinkamena shook her head and went to the counter, noticing that Lemon Drop had fallen asleep, and that Sugar Glider hadn't made it to work. She knocked on the counter, and the yellow stallion awoke with a start.

"Are you having the baby?!" He blinked and looked around, and saw Pinkamena there. "Oh! Terribly sorry… I forgot I was here, and that Sugar was home sick… I-I know you're not having a foal… ehehe…"

Pinkamena raised an eyebrow. "Of course not. I've never been on any of those exploits."

"Er… right. So, what can I do ya for?" Lemon asked with twinkling eyes.

"I'm in the mood for some cherry licorice." She glanced at Cheese, who was still looking over the shelves. "Cheese… hasn't decided."

"Okey-dokey!" Lemon opened a jar, and carefully pulled out a couple strands of red licorice.

Pinkamena exchanged a couple of bits for them, and then quickly slurped them down. As she chewed on the candy, she muttered, "It's delicious as always, Lemon."

"Why, thank you, Miss Pie!" Lemon gave her a bright smile, and glanced at Cheese. "Have you decided yet, Mr. Sandwich?"

Cheese was still scanning the shelves. "Nope, not yet!"

Pinkamena groaned. "Do I have to pay for your treat, too?"

"No worries." Cheese reached inside his poncho, and pulled out his light bag of bits. "I'm sure I could waste a little bit of money on some candy, as long as it's under five bits."

"Plenty of our stock is under five bits," Lemon said. "Now hurry, I think Pinkamena's getting impatient."

Cheese rubbed the back of his head. "I'm sorry… there's just so much to choose from… I'll try and hurry." He turned back to the shelf and continued to browse.

Lemon chuckled and turned to Pinkamena. "So… how's he doing on the farm? Is he getting any stronger?"

Pinkamena blew some hair out of her face. "Well… I've noticed that carrying rocks is getting easier for him by the day. And he cheered when he finally smelled a difference between a ripe rock and an unripe one the other day."

"Ooh, progress."

"Yep. He's still skinny, but if you look closely you'll see he's building some muscle."

"Think he'll be uncomfortable if I get too close?"

"Yes." The bluntness in her voice was palpable, and Lemon gave her a look trying to inform her that he was only kidding. She took a deep breath and asked, "How's your wife?"

Lemon breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that the conversation had changed from that awkward turn. "She's doing all right. Admittedly, she's kind of cranky, and just wants our foal to come out already. She doesn't want to wait the last few weeks, yanno?"

"I imagine I'd be fed up with it after carrying a foal for that long. Eleven months is a long time."

That's when they heard a commotion outside. Her mind flashing to the day she met Cheese, Pinkamena wondered what was going on this time. Was it another poor pony being picked on by thugs? Was it just a fight? Was there an angry mob gathered around one of the stores? She glanced at Lemon Drop, who was staring at the door the same way he did before, and then she looked at Cheese, who was both confused and uncomfortable with the noise.

"You boys stay here. If it's who I think it is, I'll be able to break up the fight easily and return in a few moments." With that, she opened the door and marched out, shutting it with her tail.

Just as she predicted, it was that smelly stallion—who, according to Cheese and Marble, was named Riffraff—and his gang. And once again, they were picking on some hapless stallion, having thrown his saddlebags on the wayside. She glared at the scene in the most dull manner, annoyed that she was saving somepony a second time.

So, she stepped out into the street, put the tip of her hoof near her mouth, and gave the most shrill whistle, which made everypony on the street stop what they were doing and snap their heads toward the pink mare. The thugs turned as well, and with the most unstallionlike screams hightailed it out of there. Chuckles from the townsfolk filled the air as Pinkamena helped the poor pony up.

"Oh, thank you, Miss!" the muddy blue unicorn exclaimed, shaking her hoof enthusiastically. "Those thugs just jumped me without provocation, and I wasn't sure if anypony was going to help me."

"You're lucky I heard them. That's the second time I've saved somepony from them."

"Well, aren't you a noble pony?" The stallion chuckled, letting go of her hoof. "If there is any way I can repay you—"

"There's no need, sir. Just a simple 'thank you' is sufficient."

"Well, then, if that's how you feel." The pony picked up his stuff, and began to trot away. "I wish you health and happiness, Miss!"

Pinkamena blinked, and nickered in contentment. As she turned to return to the candy store, she felt a foreleg wrap around her back and pull her to the side of a larger pony. She was surprised by the sudden embrace, but she was scowling before two seconds had passed.

"Don't you scare me like that, Pinkie! You coulda gotten hurt!" That arrogant drawl was grinding on her nerves as it always did, and it didn't help that he was too close for comfort.

Why couldn't she visit town without running into him? She noticed the townsponies staring, a pleased look upon most of their faces. With a groan, she wondered why in the hay they supported this nonexistent romance.

"Cortland," she began. "First off, those thugs know very well that I could literally crush their bodies if I wanted to. And second, you best let go of me right now!"

"Why? So you could be in more danger?"

Pinkamena pulled herself out of his hold, and noticed the townsponies surrounding them, watching them in anticipation. She also noticed that the blue pony had returned, curiously watching the scene. Being stuck in the middle of the circle made her uncomfortable, and she glanced around, searching for a way out of the circle without having to knock a few heads. Annoying as they were, she wasn't about to hurt any of the townsponies.

"Cortland, this is ridiculous! I've told you time and time again that I'm not interested!"

"She's just in denial, Corty!" a random stallion shouted.

"Shut up!" Pinkamena stomped her hoof hard, splashing some mud onto her chest. "Look, I'm only in town on business, and I've got to get home quickly. If only Cheese would just hurry up and choose his treat…"

"Oh, the poor mare's foalsitting a hobo… those parents of hers must be so cruel…" somepony else cooed.

"That they are," Cortland agreed. "After all, Ah've never seen any of the Pie sisters smile… have any of you?"

The ponies in the crowd shook their heads, looking amongst each other and muttering some things to each other. As her ears picked up on some of the ideas that they had about what happened on the rock farm, Pinkamena could not believe what Cortland and the ponies surrounding them were suggesting was happening there. Hardly anypony visited, so what gave them the right to assume what her home life was like?

Cortland looked at the confused blue pony and pointed at him. "That pony there wished ya health and happiness, Pinkamena. If you'd just run away with me, Ah could gave you the happiness you deserve."

The pony was a little taken aback by the statement. "Excuse me, if I may object—"

"Object ta true love? Y'all hear that? That pony is mighty bonkers to be retractin' his statement!"

The stranger snorted. "There is no 'true love' here to object to. You're harassing her."

Pinkamena was grateful that this stranger was on her side. He could see the sham that this "romance" was, and the blunt statement of what was really going on brought on a nod of agreement from her. He hadn't even been here for the past months to know the whole extent of it.

"Pssh," Cortland said. "Ya don't even know what harassment is! Ah'm just suggesting that Ah take her away from those abusive parents of hers."

"Abusive?" Pinkamena growled. "Look, Cortland, my parents are not abusive! They love me very much!"

Cortland turned back to her. "Oh, poor, confused Pinkie… don't ya see the signs? Yer father's possessive of you, yer hardly ever in town, and you are always unhappy. Wouldn't ya rather have a blissful life out of that rock farm with a lovin' husband?"

"If that's your way of proposing, then the answer is _NO._ Now, I have to leave—Ma's probably wondering what's taking me and Cheese so long."

She started to shove ponies aside on her way to the candy shop, ready to give a tongue-lashing to Cheese for taking a long time to choose. However, she suddenly found Cortland standing in her way, a look of disapproval on his face. She attempted to step around him, but he moved in her way, still staring at her.

"You and Cheese?" he snarled. "What's so special about him?"

"He's the hired hoof, that's all. He's just being indecisive about what candy he wants."

"Won't yer parents be peeved that ya keep visiting the candy shop? Aren't ya afraid they'll beat you senseless if they learn 'bout these trips?"

"We only beat Diamond Dogs senseless, now move it before I buck you in the face!"

"Come on… why are ya so grouchy all the time? Did they beat all the happiness out of ya?" He stepped forward, and Pinkamena stepped back, with a sharp glare toward him. He was still gazing at her when he crooned, "Come on, Pinkamena, smile… smile… smile."

The way he had said that seemed rather suspicious. "…huh?"

"Yeah!" a mare piped up. "Fill his heart up with sunshine! Sunshine!"

"All he really needs is a smile, smile, smile!" a stallion shouted, bouncing up and down. "From that lovely mare of his!"

Those seemed suspicious as well. She knew that those words had no need to be repeated for emphasis. There was something going on, and she didn't like it. She was growing unnerved when the townsponies started chanting:

_"Come on, Pinkamena, smile, smile, smile!_

_Fill his heart up with sunshine, sunshine!_

_All Cortland needs is a smile, smile, smile!_

_From that lovely mare of his!"_

The blue stranger was shouting at the crowd in resistance, pleading with them to just let her retrieve her friend and go home. Unfortunately, his cries were drowned out by the chanting, and Pinkamena had the word "smile" hammered onto her mercilessly, which for reasons she wouldn't say aloud, was scaring her.

She tugged at her mane, murmuring to herself, "Come on, Pinkamena… you know what Granny Pie said… 'you gotta stand up tall…'"

The chanting continued, unrelenting from the torture that it was giving her. She squeezed her eyes shut, knowing that the expectant faces were just going to mock her.

"'…learn to face your fears…'"

Why was she afraid? What was stopping her from just getting up, smacking Cortland, and then dragging Cheese out of the shop so they could get back to the rock farm? What was it about the chanting that was leaving her so vulnerable?

"'You'll see that they can't hurt you… just laugh to make them disappear.' Ha… ha… ha?"

She knew it was a feeble attempt at a laugh. She hadn't done so in such a long time, she was wondering if her laugh was awful. The chanting was drowning out any word of resistance, either from her or the blue pony who was trying to stop them. She just wanted to bury her head in the mud to get away from the chants, which continued the undertones of mocking her.

And then it hit her. She was hearing the song that was always stuck in her head. But instead of birds sweetly singing the tune, it was the townsponies chanting it with the expectation that she'd give in and please Cortland.

She felt herself being lifted up, and something was being pressed to her mouth. Her eyes shot open, and once she realized what was happening, she pulled herself away from the Apple stallion, and with no regard to what anypony would say, smacked him across the face, sending him to the mud. She heard a collective gasp from the other ponies, and stared at the ugly bruise which was forming on Cortland's cheek.

He was still breathing, but Pinkamena counted him lucky that she didn't snap his neck with that. Still, there was a notable lack of satisfaction, and she was trembling. She expected the ponies to resume the chanting, but all she could see was their horrified gazes.

Even the blue pony gaped, muttering, "My word…"

At a loss of how to reply, she backed up, still carrying leftover fear from the chanting earlier. She knew they were surprised to see her like this, and most likely angry with her for her fierce hit of Cortland. Her brain all muddled up, she turned and bolted.

Where she was headed, they did not know.

* * *

Once Cheese had heard the disturbing chanting outside, he was both curious and afraid. Part of him wanted to step outside and see what was going on, but another part of him wanted to stay in and avoid whatever was going on. But he remembered that Pinkamena was out there, and was possibly being delayed by it. He had stood there at the counter—finally having decided on a bag of gumballs, paid for it, and put it in the pocket in his poncho—for what seemed like a long time, staring at the door before deciding on stepping outside and checking it out.

As he reached the door, he hesitated. The chanting had stopped, and while he figured that Pinkamena had stopped whatever commotion had happened, he could still feel a sense of dread. He was sure that she would be very annoyed when he came out, both by the commotion and the fact that he took too long to decide. Still, what was it?

Lemon Drop had come from behind the counter, and with an encouraging nudge and a smile, walked with him out the door. They blinked at what they saw.

There were the townsponies, gathered in front of the candy shop, a couple of them helping up a groggy Cortland with a bruise on his face. And there was no Pinkamena in sight.

It would have been easy to assume that Pinkamena just gave up and went home. However, staring at the bruise, Cheese couldn't help but feel that wasn't what happened. Some ponies looked up at him, narrowing their eyes.

"All right, what happened here?" Lemon asked.

"What happened?" a stallion shouted. "What happened?! That Pie mare turned down Cortland's proposal, that's what happened!"

Cheese's eyes scanned the crowd. "Did it involve creepy chanting?"

"We were only asking her to smile," a mare said. "Honestly, she needs to lighten up."

"It's kind of hard for her to do that when you keep bugging her about this. Honestly, folks, it's not going to happen. She doesn't like him, simple as that."

"How do we know you're not jealous?!" another mare snapped.

"I'm not jealous…" Cheese looked at Cortland's bruise again and winced. "I certainly don't envy that bruise there. Now, folks, where did Pinkamena go?"

"Like you should know!" Cortland shouted. "Ya want 'er all to yerself, huh?"

Cheese glared at him. "No, we've got to get back to the farm! Unless… did she go home?"

A blue stallion raised his hoof. "Question: where is this farm located?"

Cheese pointed down the street. "Just past the railroad and beyond those hills. She… did go that way, right?"

"Oh, dear… she went the other direction…"

"What? Why would she go that way?"

"Well, she was in some emotional turmoil."

Cheese's eyes widened at the sound of that. The sound of that unshakable mare having been shaken was a shock, and to imagine her with an expression other than her dull glare—and that sweet smile he saw in his dreams—was inconceivable. Somehow, that chanting must have been involved in breaking her.

The rumble of thunder sounded, signaling that the rain was soon to resume and that Cheese was now in a bad mood. Cheese's nostrils flared, his mane bristled, and he jumped into the street, shoving the other ponies aside and grabbing Cortland. "What did you do?!"

"Cheese!" Lemon exclaimed. "I know you're angry, but don't be threatening!"

Cortland pushed him off. "Calm down, ya varmint! I only proposed to her, and she smacked me!"

"A simple proposal would not send her running off!"

Lemon pulled the furious Cheese away and patted his chest. "Calm down, son. Don't waste your time fighting him; you should go find her." He looked to the crowd. "And the rest of you oughta go home! It's going to rain soon!"

The ponies grumbled as they dispersed, and Cortland gave one last sharp glare towards Cheese, which the latter suspected was a sign that he was blaming him for the botched proposal. He took a deep breath, and then stopped the blue pony for a moment. "Okay… where did you say she went?"

Once pointed in the right direction, he thanked the stranger, and then headed off that way, calling Pinkamena's name. He didn't care that the first raindrops were falling; he had to find her.


	19. Abide With Me

He couldn't put his hoof on it, but that orange pony looked awfully familiar.

The blue unicorn stallion shivered under his umbrella, both from the chilly air and from the scene he had just witnessed. While he had seen scenes like that before, he was expecting better from a small town. He was still unnerved by the chanting that had reduced a grouchy mare into a quivering little filly, and that orange stallion who knew her had every right to be angry. And while he would like to assist in the search, he had someplace to go that he couldn't be late for.

He walked into a building, shut his umbrella, and was quickly greeted by an older unicorn mare wearing a faded blue vest and had her graying dark violet hair up in a bun.

"Oh, Bluejinx, you're here!" she exclaimed, wrapping him in a hug, not caring that he was muddy.

Bluejinx returned the hug. "Good to see you too, Aunt Purple."

The mare, Purple Prose, broke the hug and skipped to a door in the back of the room. "I'm so glad that you're here to assist me, Blue." She pointed up the stairs. "And go wash up, dearie! You're a mess!"

Bluejinx rolled his eyes. He bolted up the stairs with his aunt watching, and before long, came back down all clean from the tips of his ears to his withers to his hooves.

He smoothed down his white mane, and then followed his aunt to the other room, where a few other ponies were working. The mare gestured to a printing press, explaining that they printed the weekly local news of Nickerlite, as well as news that came from other places in Equestria. She brought up a few examples of local news, including that of a rumor flying around about a pie and an apple.

"…and frankly, I have some doubts on their relationship status myself, seeing as I've never seen them together, not to mention Pinkamena is usually out on that rock farm with her family."

"Rock farm?"

"Yes, across the railroad and beyond the hills."

Bluejinx blinked. "Oh, so that's the farm that he was talking about…"

"Who, dear?"

"Pony that was at the candy shop."

"Oh, okay, anyway, there's no way I'm going to print a rumor until I know the absolute truth of what's happening between Pinkamena Pie and Cortland Apple. Haralson's and Cortland's thoughts on the matter conflict, everypony else seems to think that a marriage would make the Pies be a little more open, and then there's the Pies themselves, who don't come to town all too often…"

"Why not just go to their farm and ask them?"

"Ponies are just too afraid to go out there. Some think that they'll have rocks thrown at them, some think they'll be attacked by a wild creature, and some fear that they'll find out something unpleasant about the Pies. And then there are those who don't want to take the long walk there."

Bluejinx scoffed. "Pansies. I'll be happy to go and ask them about the situation… though, I don't think that after today, they'd even approve of this stallion."

"Well, you're not going out in the rain, mister! Wait for sunshine." Purple tilted her head and arched an eyebrow. "And what happened today?"

"Well…" He looked around, and motioned for his aunt to follow him back to the front room. They went out of the room, and he cautiously looked at both doors. Their brown eyes met, and Bluejinx spoke with a hushed voice. "Cortland's a green stallion with a brown apple for a cutie mark, right?"

Purple nodded slowly.

"And Pinkamena's… pink?"

"Well, it's in her name."

"Well, let's just say that the scene I saw was nothing less than sexual harassment, with a crowd of townsponies cheering him on."

Purple blinked. "…what?"

Bluejinx nodded. "I've seen plenty of harassment like that in Manehattan, but goodness, in a small town like this you'd think they'd see that she was obviously unhappy that he was there. Even after he forced a kiss on her, she smacked him! What makes this worse is that she rescued me from some thugs just by letting them know she was there, and then the next thing that happens she's broken down by ponies telling her to smile in a creepy chant."

"Wait… they broke… a Pie mare? Oh, dear, to make such a tough mare break down is so… shocking."

"Yes… she ran away… I had to point her… uh, friend? Brother? Well, I had to point him the direction she ran off in. Whoever he is, he knows and cares for her, seeing as he looked like he was going to kill Cortland on the spot." He gazed up at the ceiling, recalling the image of that pony holding up Cortland by the bandanna and giving him a venomous glare. He found it interesting that his mane had bristled during the brief staredown. _Kinda like my buddy Tommy back in Manehattan..._

"Hm, friend? Well, it's obviously not a brother, since the Pies don't have a son… oh, you must have seen their hired hoof, Cheese Sandwich. Makes sense that he'd be angry about that, since he's said the Pies are like his sisters, despite it being only a month since he started working for them."

"Huh… Cheese Sandwich?" Bluejinx tapped his chin. His first thought was that Cheese had a funny name, and he suppressed a chuckle at the coincidence of knowing someone with the surname "Sandwich". Then, his eyes widened and his jaw went slack as he realized just why Cheese looked so familiar to him.

* * *

"Pinkamena! Where are you?!"

Being cold and drenched was nothing new for Cheese Sandwich. He had met plenty of rainy days on his travels, and though raindrops on his glasses were really annoying, he learned to manage. However, usually he was either looking for shelter or just enjoying it, feeling refreshed after scorching heat. This time, he was out looking for a runaway mare.

It was difficult for his mane to bristle while wet, but he still felt anger over what had transpired earlier. It was bad enough that Cortland had annoyed Pinkamena for a long time; now she had been humiliated, something that Cheese couldn't believe was possible. What kind of proposal contained creepy chanting anyway? Cheese couldn't help but feel a little glad that some of Cortland's dignity had been smacked away, especially with such a large bruise now marring his face.

Still, Cheese couldn't find Pinkamena anywhere. He thought he could easily pick out her pink coat, but his search of the surrounding hills turned up nothing, and the rain was only pouring harder. Worry was gripping his heart, and he was certain that Cloudy Quartz was worried sick as well. He thought of the other Pie sisters, wondering what was taking their sister and the hired hoof so long. He hoped he could find her soon.

Standing on a hill overlooking the town, he took a deep breath.

_"Pinkamena!"_ His chest heaved after that yell, and the thunder rolled. He looked up at the sky, expecting lightning to come down and strike him.

He sat down on the wet grass, letting the chill of the rain run through him. His mane lay on his neck in waves, having been dampened down from its curls. He brushed some wet locks from his face, a heavy sigh escaping his mouth. He felt awful for taking so long in the candy shop, and not being outside to at least be supportive of her. He had heard the chanting, but was hesitant in going out.

Then again, what could he have done? Get bucked to the wall so Pinkamena could defend him and put Cortland in his place? He cursed his weakness compared to the farmers of small towns like Nickerlite, and wished that Maud hadn't been sick so she could accompany Pinkamena instead of him.

He looked at one of the hills across the railroad, specifically a tall, grassy one with a lone tree. Under the tree was what looked like a small mound of grayish pink.

Wait, grayish pink? Was it her?

He'd have to get closer to know for sure. He stood up and started to head there, wondering that if it was her, what path she did take to get there. And that if it was her, she'd receive his company.

* * *

Turns out that he was right. He reached the hill as the rain lightened, though it was still a significant rainfall.

She lay there facing two grave markers, having left her saddlebags against the tree. Her coat was more gray than usual, and the skirt of her tail was spread out behind her. She seemed not to have noticed Cheese, and her breathing was audible, even though the pitter patter and dripping of rain filled the air.

He opened his mouth to speak, but hesitated. He didn't want to disturb her moment of peace, and he wondered if she should be left alone.

"Cheese, I know you're there," she murmured.

Okay, so she did notice him.

"It's okay. I won't bite."

He tentatively approached her, taking careful steps around her tail and slowly taking a place beside her. He sat down, his insides feeling heavy and an ache permeating his heart.

He looked at the gravestones, reading the names of a Surprise Diane Pie and a Petra Pinkamena "Pinkie" Primrose. He glanced at Pinkamena's expression, which was a dull stare toward the stones, but her eyes emitted a sadness that he never thought he'd see. He wanted to give her a hug, but resisted because he felt that she wouldn't accept it, especially after the way she had been handled earlier.

Pinkamena sat up. "Meet my Granny Pie and Nana Pinkie."

Cheese nodded, remembering the photos he had seen the other day. His mind went to the drawing at the end of that scrapbook, and he listened as she continued.

"When my parents first met, these two became the best of friends. They became like sisters after Ma and Pa were married, and they absolutely adored their granddaughters. With them around, it was a lot of fun.

"Granny Pie was the one who brought music to the rock farm. She had a song for every situation, such as going to the river, tickling me and my sisters, and facing your fears. Nana Pinkie was the one who would tell the stories. They were either fun stories from her fillyhood or myths and legends that she had heard and wanted to pass on. I've always enjoyed their company."

Pinkamena sighed. "One day, Ma and Pa just found them in their beds, lying still and stone cold, with not a breath from their bodies. It broke my heart to learn that they weren't going to wake up, and the atmosphere at the rock farm just became gloomier.

"I… I come up here to talk to them when I'm sad or distressed. And well… I'm sure you know what happened."

Cheese pursed his lips. "Yes, I do. And I'm sorry for not being there to at least try to help you."

Pinkamena shook her head. "There wasn't anything you could have done. They somehow magically used a tune that I like against me, and I guess… I guess… ugh, I guess I felt betrayed. And a sense of betrayal is awfully frightening."

Cheese looked down at the grass, and ran his hoof over the wet blades. "Yeah… it is."

Pinkamena stroked her wet mane, and wiped her mouth. "I just hope that I can get rid of the taste of rotten apples; it's an awful reminder of what I've been through."

"Uhh… rotten apples?"

"He kissed me."

Cheese sat there, looking at her with wide eyes, before his face fell into a scowl. He snorted and growled, "I hate that guy... I mean, what gives him the right to do that?"

"He thinks I'm secretly in love with him and playing hard to get. Um, no, I'm sure I wouldn't be acting like this if I actually was in love… not sure how I'd act though…"

Cheese shrugged. "Who knows? I guess when it hits you, it hits you. Heck, you could be in love and not even know it for a while. But, hey, I don't think it's happening anytime soon, and nopony can rush you, especially not him." He glanced at her, noticing her looking away, and coughed into his foreleg. "Well… how was your talk with your grandmothers?"

Pinkamena squeezed her eyes shut. With a trembling lip, she answered, "I wanted them to give me a hug."

Cheese blinked, and his mouth formed an O.

"And well, you see the obvious problem with that. I'm sure they're hugging me in spirit, but I just want them to just come back to life and use their actual bodies for that. I just—I… I…"

"I know. You miss them."

Pinkamena nodded in response. She turned away from the gravestones and looked out over the valley. "Must be a shock to see me like this, huh? The tough rock farmer mare that can lift and crush boulders, scare off stallion thugs with a simple look, and could care less of the concerns of the townsfolk, and you get to see her when she's sad. I suppose you think less of me now that you've seen my more vulnerable side."

Cheese turned and scooted beside her. "Not at all. All of us need to cry sometimes. It's what makes us ponies, after all."

Pinkamena was silent, still looking over the town of Nickerlite with that same dull, sad stare. Cheese could see that she resented how the ponies were trying to tell her how to be happy, blind to her actual feelings on the whole Cortland mess. The idea of the mysterious lives of the Pies caused speculation about what dirty secrets they hid that made them so unhappy. All Cheese himself had uncovered was an old scrapbook that was only halfway finished.

He twiddled his hooves, watching as the rain was easing from a shower to drizzle, and he could notice sunbeams poking through the clouds. Taking a deep breath, he asked, "If it's all right with you… m-may I give you a hug?"

Pinkamena turned to face him, her blue orbs signaling surprise and the corners of her mouth tightening. Cheese tried to read her expression for any trace of disgust or delight, but to no avail. His heart sank as he figured that asking a Pie for a hug would be like asking a bear for a refund.

"Uh… is that a no? Well, I guess I could take you home, and maybe you could implore Maud for—OOF!"

He was caught by surprise as Pinkamena wrapped her front legs around him and gave him a tight squeeze. She had her head against his chest, and he wondered if she could hear his heart pounding.

Still, he was glad to return the hug, and wrapping his front legs around her was warmer than any blanket or any fire. His heart felt like bursting into song, and he felt as if he was going to sprout wings and soar. The rest of his body tingled, and the smile that graced his face was almost involuntary. It was strange to think of a rock farmer mare as being huggable, but the warmth he felt told him that Pinkamena Diane Pie was indeed a very huggable pony. He couldn't help but wonder how she was feeling.

He glanced out of the corner of his eye, and caught something in his vision. "Pinkamena… look!"

Pinkamena broke the hug, and looked up to where Cheese pointed. Her eyes widened and her mouth was barely open at the sight of a shimmering arch of light, bearing a spectrum of colors from red to violet. It was bright against the dark sky, and the sunlight that had broken through clouds gleamed upon it. Pinkamena's awe was palpable, and she continued to stare with childlike wonder in her eyes.

"What a beautiful rainbow," Cheese muttered.

Pinkamena nodded. "Yes… it is beautiful… rainbows don't come to Nickerlite very often…"

"Well, aren't we a couple of lucky ponies to see this beauty?"

She nodded again. Cheese saw the corners of her mouth tighten again, and he was finding that to be a little annoying how that kept happening. However, before his eyes, the tight corners were pulled up by an invisible force, and there was a strange air of relaxing upon the entire mouth. Her teeth were bared, and her eyes gleamed as she continued to stare at the rainbow. And before he knew it, he saw her colors brighten.

Cheese blinked at the sudden transformation, his awe directed at the mare beside him.

He couldn't believe it. She was smiling.

It was more beautiful than he had imagined it. There was a distinct warmth and sweetness in her smile that made even the most well-done cake look stale, and the teeth were a whole lot whiter than he thought was possible. Her eyes exposed many shades of blue, and they sparkled to complement the smile. And for the first time, he could see unmistakable joy in her face.

"Wow…" he whispered.

Pinkamena turned to him. "Hmm?"

"P-P-Pinkamena… you're… you're…"

"I'm what?"

"You're smiling... you're smiling!"

Pinkamena felt her mouth. "So I am. Wow, it's been a while since I did that." She frowned again and raised an eyebrow. "Why? Does it scare you?"

"Oh, no no no no! It's actually quite nice!" He knew that was an understatement. That smile had made it very tempting to kiss her, as he was wondering if it tasted as sweet as it looked. Of course, he quickly shoved that thought aside. "I'm just surprised to see it happen, that's all."

"So… do you like it?"

"Like it? Pfft, I actually love your smile. It's a hidden gem."

Pinkamena stared a moment before she smiled again. "Well, I'm glad you do. You're the first pony that's seen me smile in years. And, well… you deserve it, for being such a good pony."

"Aw, shucks." Cheese blushed and rubbed the back of his head. Looking back at the graves, he added, "You know, I can't think of a better place for that smile than their graves. They would have been really happy to see it."

"You're right." Pinkamena turned her head toward the graves. "I hope you like it, Granny and Nana."

There was a silence as they stared at the graves. The rain had stopped and the sun was shining, though sadly the rainbow had disappeared. Still, Pinkamena felt better, no doubt about it.

She stood up and walked toward the tree, humming as she did so. She grabbed her saddlebags and sighed, shaking her head. "Time to go home."

Cheese stood up as well. "We're in trouble, aren't we?"

"Yep."

As they started to walk down the hill, knowing they were walking toward their fate, Cheese wondered, "Say, what would it be like if the rest of your family smiled?"

"I don't know," Pinkamena answered. "But I have a feeling that Marble and Limestone will crack soon."


	20. Seeing for Oneself

A few days later, there was an angry pounding at the Apples' door.

As he ate breakfast, Haralson shouted for his oldest son to answer it, to which the younger stallion begrudgingly complied to. When Cortland had opened it, immediately he slammed the door and bolted up to his room. When that had happened, Haralson was out of the kitchen in seconds, looking up the stairs with a frustrated scowl.

"Consarn it, Cortland! You don't slam the door on guests!" With a groan, Haralson reopened the door. "I hafta apologize fer mah—Igneous!"

Although his muzzle was turning red from where the door presumably hit him, Igneous showed no indication that he was in pain. Instead, his golden eyes held a sharp glare that could cut through the hardest of rocks, and the twirling strand of wheat in his mouth indicated grinding teeth. Haralson blinked at the sight of the rock farmer, and then sighed, stepping aside to let him in.

As Igneous walked in, he grumbled, "Stupid ponies… I'm gone for a few days and ponies talk about a wedding proposal…"

Haralson shut the door, and then walked to the sofa. "This is about the rumors again, ain't it?"

"They got worse…" Igneous growled, refusing to sit down.

"Well, what did ya hear this time?"

"I've had ponies telling me that it's a shame that my daughter refused your son's proposal, and that he would make a 'wonderful son-in-law'." Disgust was heavy in his voice as he finished that sentence. "Wonderful? Ha! Pinkamena hates him!"

Haralson groaned. "Those ponies are stubborn. Each time Ah shoot down the rumor for one pony, two more ponies start believin' it."

Igneous snorted. "Well, guess what else I heard? He kissed her!"

"Wait, what? But… Cortland said—"

"Have you considered that maybe your son is not an honest Apple? He kissed her without her consent and humiliated her! I only know because she told Cloudy about it, and then Cloudy told me, and now I'm telling you about it! Do you not see what's happening with your son?!"

Haralson got to his hooves. "He gave me his word that he wouldn't bother her no more!"

Igneous stomped hard on the floor. "Well, he lied! You're being far too soft on him! Why don't you just send him away to one of his cousins so things don't get worse?"

Haralson's face now sported a sharp glare that rivaled Igneous'. "Don't tell me how to raise mah foals, Igneous. Ah can handle Cortland, and Ah am determined to get them darned ideas out of those idiots' heads!"

Igneous snorted once again. "I've met plenty of ponies like him. They make it difficult to trust stallions around my daughters."

Haralson shook his head in disbelief. "Funny that you should say that when your hired hoof is a stallion."

"I scared him straight and made him promise not to try anything funny. So far, he's kept that promise, and he has got the message that we Pies take promises very seriously."

Haralson blinked as he took that in, and then he sighed. "That's a mighty funny promise to have him make. Poor feller's gonna be in an awkward situation if he finds himself fallin' fer one of yer daughters and havin' ta fight it."

"He'll just have to deal with it. Besides, his stay is only until he earns enough to get by while traveling. He's only just received his first payment." Igneous grinded his teeth on the wheat strand and nickered. "At least he has respect for my daughters, which frankly, your son doesn't have."

"And just when Ah thought this conversation was going to turn more pleasant," Haralson huffed. "Look, Ah'll talk to him and let 'im know that kissin' her like that is not polite."

"Be mean about it," Igneous said bluntly. "Because if he goes so far as to brew a love potion for her, I'm going to disregard all the laws of this town and put that colt down in one strike."

"Whoa! Don't go threatenin' my flesh and blood!"

Igneous turned around and stomped his way to the door. As he opened it, he growled, "Well, he needs to quit harassing mine!"

And with that, he slammed it.

* * *

Igneous groaned as he left the Apples' farm. "I shouldn't have accepted that dinner invitation… made that darn colt even more entitled to Pinkamena."

He shook his head, unable to believe that he had made a threat against somepony. The last threat he made that was like that was when one of the convicts he had overseen was bothering his wife; that had been years ago, before Maud was born. Since then, he had to remind himself that rock farmer strength was not for hurting ponies.

Still, that colt was getting on his nerves, and he wanted to file a restraining order against him to protect his daughter. Of course, knowing the lousy handling of the law in Nickerlite—having seen too many crooks get away with harassing innocent townsfolk—he wasn't sure that anypony would hear his case or if it would work. And while most of the townsponies were decent folk, they were stupid enough to believe some ridiculous rumors.

For the time being, keeping Pinkamena at the rock farm was the best option.

He found himself walking down the main road, passing by the shops that lined both sides of the damp street. Above him clouds were scattered, and the town was basking in the sunlight during the break from rain. He could smell the fresh wetness of the recent showers, and knew it was going to be a common smell for the next three weeks, much to his dismay.

At least he returned home on a nice day.

"Yanno, if Cortland manages to win over that Pie mare," somepony said. "Then perhaps the other three would be more open."

Igneous stopped in his tracks, and glanced at a group of ponies gathered near the candy shop. Usually he wanted to stay out of other ponies' business, but this group was talking about his daughters.

"That's not what I'm asking!" a blue unicorn shouted. "Honestly, folks, couldn't you just look at Pinkamena before listening to whatever Cortland spews out?"

Igneous had his full attention on the group, especially the unicorn, holding a pencil and notepad in his magic. He hadn't seen that face before, so there was no doubt that the fellow was new in town. The fact that the new pony was not taking the rumor at face value was a breath of fresh air.

"She's obviously not happy," a mare stated. "I bet a marriage to Cortland would solve all her problems."

The unicorn facehoofed, and so did Igneous. The former took a deep breath. "No, it won't. Considering what I saw, she was not very welcoming of his presence."

"Scowling is the only way the Pie sisters know how to show affection."

"Um, what?"

"They're obviously not allowed to smile there. I bet that when they smile, their parents throw rocks at them. Therefore, they have to keep frowning, lest they bring danger upon themselves."

Igneous was stamping his hoof and flicking his tail. What kind of stupid theory was that? As he recalled, the only reason that they didn't smile was that they saw no reason to. Cheese smiled a lot, and they didn't throw rocks at him.

"I think she'd act more skittish in her hurry rather than annoyed and impatient if she was being abused. And her words and tone of voice gave away that she wasn't pleased to see him. Also, she smacked him!"

_Pinkamena, don't smack ponies._ Still, it was very tempting to be proud that Cortland had got what was coming to him. He listened to yet another ridiculous response from one in the group.

"Mr. Bluejinx, you're a nice pony, but you clearly don't understand the situation at hoof. Poor Cortland was denied marriage, and Pinkamena's just confused. I bet that Cheese fellow is poisoning her mind with the tales of fantastic travels that obviously never happened. Pfft, you can't trust a drifter."

Another pony laughed. "Yeah, I bet he told them that he had breakfast with Princess Celestia!"

"And that he performed onstage with a famous musician!" another chortled.

"Let's not forget the time he helped save Equestria!"

The rest of the group laughed, leaving Bluejinx with clear annoyance etched on his face. The unicorn noticed Igneous standing there, and curiously stared as the others guffawed at the made up tales of Cheese Sandwich. Igneous could see the weariness in his eyes, figuring that he had been putting up with this manure for quite some time.

"Anyway, let's give this pony time to absorb the truth. After all, he just recently came to town. Come on, let's get some lunch!"

The group disbanded, leaving a bemused and irritated Bluejinx standing there. Igneous stared at him for a moment, and then tilted his head to beckon him. The unicorn complied, and the two were face to face in a matter of seconds.

Igneous idly rolled his wheat strand in his mouth. "I overheard that conversation you had with those ponies. Frustrating when you're one of the few ponies who doesn't believe a rumor, isn't it?"

"I've dealt with a lot of frustrating things in my life, sir." His face lit up as he asked, "You wouldn't happen to be one of those who don't believe this awful falsehood, would you?"

"I have a very good reason to not believe it. I'm Pinkamena's father."

"Oh…" Bluejinx scribbled something down. "I see. Well, if it helps any, the candy shop owners don't believe it, and I've convinced my aunt that the whole thing is ridiculous."

"Good to know that there are still sane ponies in Nickerlite. I was afraid they died off. Now I do have to ask why you're so interested in this rumor."

"Simple. Your daughter saw me in trouble and helped me out… and then I was an unfortunate witness to a circle of chanting that scared her into a helpless little filly, and a forced kiss that prompted a good smack in the face. Has she told you about that?"

Igneous blinked. "I wasn't told about the circle of chanting…"

Bluejinx rubbed the back of his head. "Ehehe… I guess I wouldn't want to talk about it if it happened to me. Anyway, it really bothered me that everypony was encouraging the whole thing, even when she was obviously distressed. And frankly, seeing the way that she just ran off after the whole thing and how your hired hoof was nearly ready to kill Cortland over it made me want to help somehow."

The mention of Cheese angry was a bit of a surprise to Igneous. Sure, he had seen him annoyed at a bunch of mice, but angry? It was obvious he cared a lot for Pinkamena; but Igneous wondered if it was like a brotherly protectiveness toward her, or if there were deeper feelings there.

"I believe part of it stems from ignorance," Bluejinx continued. "So, I thought I'd head over to your farm and see what you folks do and take notes. And of course, getting your views on this whole courtship rumor, though I have an idea of what they'll be. That is… if that's all right with you."

Igneous thought for a moment before answering, "I've got no dark secrets to protect; just work to do. If you're going to observe and ask questions, it better be relevant."

"Is that a yes?"

"Yeah. Just try not to ogle my daughters."

* * *

Cheese Sandwich felt quite chipper today. Even with double the effort to make up for the rocks' lost ripening time—by moving them to places with higher magic concentration—he was in high enough spirits to be whistling.

Though he and Pinkamena were pretty much grounded for dilly-dallying—not to mention getting the mail wet—at least it wasn't too harsh a punishment, given that they mentioned that Cortland humiliated her and that most of Pinkamena's delay was spent at the grandmothers' graves, while Cheese was looking for her.

Hoisting a rock into the cart that Maud pulled, he noted that the rock felt much lighter than others of its size. He chuckled to himself and threw another rock in. Never had he been so happy to be farming rocks, and he didn't mind being stuck on the farm for the rest of his stay, especially if it meant not seeing Cortland's face again.

The mere thought of him was souring his mood. What was up with that colt? Was he trying to get the Pie family angry at him? If it weren't for the farm and just how important this location was for the rocks, Cheese would suggest moving to get away from the town that was turning more aggressive in the support of a Cortland and Pinkamena courtship. He sighed, wondering why those ponies were so blind to how rotten of an Apple he was; his cutie mark should have been a dead giveaway!

He sighed, pushing Cortland to the back of his mind. Why should he be thinking about somepony who made him angry? He looked at Maud, who was uninterested in him as she always was. He figured that he was paired with her to lessen his small talk and do more work. So, he simply continued lifting rocks into the cart, in order to move them to the next field.

"Igneous Clyde Rock, who is that?!" Cloudy shouted from elsewhere in the field.

Cheese and Maud turned their attention to the path that was far off, where Igneous stood with a blue unicorn with a white mane. Even from afar, Cheese could tell it was that pony from the other day. He curiously raised an eyebrow, wondering what this pony was doing here. And though he was far, there was something vaguely familiar about him that Cheese overlooked the other day due to being in a hurry.

"Oh, I helped him out the other day, Ma!" Pinkamena hollered from another part of the field. "He's friendly!"

Cheese smiled at the sound of her voice ringing over the fields and his mind went back to her smile. He counted himself lucky to have seen such a pure smile from a beautiful mare, which had been one of her most well-kept secrets.

But though she shared that secret, he wasn't sure he could share one of his own.

* * *

Bluejinx followed Igneous, being introduced to the older stallion's wife, Cloudy Quartz. He told her his name and shook her hoof, smiling warmly at the confused older mare. It wasn't long before they were joined by Pinkamena, who was just as confused by his presence as her mother.

"What are you doing here, Mr… Mr…"

"Bluejinx."

"Okay, thank you."

"Well, the little… incident, and that ridiculous rumor—"

Pinkamena groaned and rolled her eyes. Her parents' brows were furrowed, and he was sure that they were sick and tired of that mess. Bluejinx took a deep breath.

"…as I was saying, those got me curious about you folks. I assure you I don't believe that gossip, and I want to learn the honest truth about you ponies."

Cloudy blinked and gave him a dull stare. "We farm rocks."

Bluejinx chuckled. "Well… I knew that already. I hope you don't mind if I take a look around."

"Just don't touch anything."

"All right, I'll keep my hooves off your, uh, rocks."

Bluejinx set off on his tour of the rock farm, and looked around at the expanse of a barren field and many rocks. Behind him, he noticed Igneous following him, making sure that he didn't touch the rocks or his daughters. Seeing what happened the other day, Bluejinx could sense that the older pony was wary about his presence.

They came across two other mares, one gray and the other one blue-gray, both sweeping smaller rocks into piles. Though he wouldn't admit it out loud for fear of rubbing Igneous the wrong way, he found them quite pretty. The gray one noticed him, and hid behind her sister, only to peek from barely above her sister's back with wide eyes. The eyes of the blue-gray one were just as wide, and there was a rapid couple of blinks every few seconds.

"Hello, girls," he said. "My name is Bluejinx. What are yours?"

The blue-gray one raised an eyebrow. "Er, Limestone? And the shy one's Marble, just so you know."

Marble glared at her. "I'm not shy."

"You're being shy right now."

Bluejinx scribbled down the names of both the mares in his notepad. "So, might I ask what you're doing?"

"Putting rocks into piles and waiting for our sister Maud to move them to that field," Limestone answered, pointing to a patch of land that was a little far off. "That's where magic gets disrupted the least when it rains. And since it's been pretty rainy this month, the rocks are slow in ripening."

"Um… rocks can ripen?"

"Yeah, in certain places."

"Ripen to… what exactly?"

"Gems, building material, ores, stuff like that. Why else do you think rock farms exist?"

"Well… thank you for enlightening me." Bluejinx wrote down what Limestone had just told him. "Learn something new every day, hm?"

Both mares nodded, and Bluejinx nodded at them before moving on. Though Igneous was silent, he could sense him judging him by the way he interacted with his daughters. He was a little uneasy, feeling as if he was just being viewed as a desperate suitor instead of just a curious pony working for the newspaper. As lovely as Igneous' daughters were, he was not here for a date.

Coming into view was yet another daughter, which he assumed was Maud, pulling a cart, heading for her mother and sisters. With her was a tall, skinny, orange stallion, which he instantly recognized as Cheese Sandwich.

He bit his lip, a sense of dread forming within him. It had been years since he had seen Cheese, and when Bluejinx had last spoken to him, it was merely to shift the blame for an accident on another colt. He still remembered Cheese's initial shock to what had happened, and the sudden switch from that to pure anger was so frightening that he had sped out of the room with the all the other colts, with the exception of one.

_If anything, Tomato should be here to see him, not me,_ he thought. _This is his brother after all._

Seeing Cheese all grown up, Bluejinx noted that the build and facial structure was awfully similar to Tomato's. A closer look reminded him that they had the same eyes, and they both sported the family forelock. Cheese still wore the glasses and the wild mane, and seemed to have acquired a poncho somehow. Bluejinx was curious about the adventures that he had, and assumed that they would make great stories.

Of course, he was unsure how Cheese would react upon recognizing him, and he was terrified to find out. Did he hold a grudge? Would he threaten him like he did with Cortland? Did he become less shy and more aggressive after years on the road? Bluejinx took a deep breath and decided that maybe Cheese didn't recognize him. It had been years after all, and they had been kids.

Before he knew it, Maud and Cheese were in front of him. Maud had no reaction, while Cheese was obviously curious. Bluejinx was a little hesitant, and the fact that Igneous was looking at him with a face that said, "What are you waiting for?" didn't help his nerves. With another deep breath, he introduced himself, trying hard not to wince when mentioning his name.

The mare blinked, and simply replied, "I'm Maud."

Cheese was tapping his chin, muttering , "…Bluejinx? Bluejinx… where have I heard that before…?" A few tense moments of Cheese thinking ended with him scanning Bluejinx up and down. After this scrutinizing, Cheese's eyes widened, and he backed up as his brow started to furrow. Soon, there was a glare coming from his eyes.

Cheese looked away, and pointed at a rock. "There's another, Maud. I'll get it."

Bluejinx watched as he trotted to the rock and picked it up with one foreleg, grunting as he lifted it. Cheese walked back, put it in the cart, and then let out a sigh. A bitter glance was shot in Bluejinx's direction before Cheese spotted another rock and went to retrieve it.

Igneous blinked. "That was… odd. Usually he's a pleasant fellow, even if a little shy."

Bluejinx winced. He didn't doubt that Cheese recognized him, even after all these years. And just like he thought, he wasn't very happy to see him. He sighed and shook his head.

_You've been holding a grudge for an awfully long time, haven't you?_


	21. Bitterness

After Igneous' visit, Haralson went upstairs to talk to his son, only to find that he had slipped out through the window and to the back of the house. From there, Cortland had run off to somewhere. There was no doubt in Haralson's mind that he had galloped to that old treehouse at the edge of the orchard, where he and his friends had used when they were small colts. Haralson broke into a trot and headed that direction.

Along the way, he thought about what Igneous had said. His son, a liar? What kind of fool idea was that? After all, Apples were raised to be honest, and though they did make mistakes here or there, they upheld that value. To think of one as a dishonest gossiper was mind-boggling!

Still, Igneous was no liar either, often to the point of being blunt and a bit harsh. Not that Haralson could blame him; it was the rock farmer's daughter being the unfortunate object of Cortland's affections. He was sure that when Idared got to that age and started attracting stallions, he'd be protective of her as well.

Haralson was astounded at how things could change over the years. As a colt, Cortland had found Pinkamena—who had been a cheerful and talkative little filly until her grandmothers' deaths—annoying. And then, one day, when manning the apple stand in town, he was suddenly infatuated with her.

Haralson didn't know if it was because Pinkamena grew into a lovely mare, or if it was just the challenge of wooing a rock farmer mare that enticed Cortland. Maybe it was both. Either way, his persistence had gone too far. Igneous was about ready to kill him if he went even further with this insanity, if Pinkamena didn't do it first.

He found himself at the tree which was very thick at the base, and cradled a well-built treehouse—which was big and strong enough to hold five large adult stallions—in its branches. He smiled fondly at the memory of building the treehouse for his son, and the squeals of glee from a seven-year-old Cortland having been presented with it. He circled the tree until he reached a ramp, and then proceeded to climb it.

Just as he thought, Cortland was there, staring out the window at the river in the distance.

"Son?"

He was met with silence.

"Cortland."

The younger stallion responded with a grumble.

Haralson walked to the window and sat down beside him. "Son, it wasn't polite to slam the door in Igneous' face."

Cortland snorted and replied, "Jus' scared me, is all."

"Oh? And why did he scare ya?"

"Didya see him glare, Pa?"

"Ah did. But do ya know why he was glaring?"

Cortland was silent, and he refused to meet his father in the eyes. That told the older pony that he knew, but he didn't want to admit it.

Haralson stomped a couple of times. "Well?"

Still silent.

"Cortland, answer me."

"Or what? Ah get shipped off to Sweet Apple Acres in Ponyville? Or to Appleloosa? Or the Salt Lick Valley? Or do Ah have a choice of where Ah get to go?"

"Just answer! It ain't that hard!"

Cortland brought his hoof down on the floor with a loud BANG. "Ah don't get it! Why don't she like me? Ah'm the most eligible bachelor in town! Ah'm a strong, hard-working pony, born into one of the most widespread and well-loved families in Equestria! And yet, Ah've now got a bruise on mah face with her name on it! What is wrong with that mare?!"

Haralson sighed and shook his head. "Cortland, she's not the problem."

"Oh, she isn't? Well, then, Ah suppose her father's the problem! Yeah, after all, he keeps those poor gals under his hoof and makes them work under the sun nonstop and with no breaks!"

"Cortland… quit making stuff up. Ah've been to the rock farm, they do take breaks. They even have a watering trough for a quick drink. Also, it's mostly cloudy over there."

"Well, he comes off as the type who gives his daughters a lickin' for the smallest muck-up."

"Igneous is not the problem. He's just tryin' to protect his daughter."

"Seems awful overprotective ta me."

"Cortland, haven't ya figured out that yer comin' on too strong?"

Cortland looked at him incredulously. "Too strong? Pardon, but Ah thought a strong approach was how ya won Ma."

"Well, she liked that, yes, but not all mares are the same. Fer example, while yer Ma liked how I flirted with her openly, Cloudy Quartz preferred Igneous' more subtle approach. Love just hit 'em before they knew it. And well… ya can't exactly force it, yanno?"

"Pinkamena didn't have ta hit me."

"Ya kissed her when she didn't want it. Cortland… ya told me that you'd leave her alone, but ya didn't, and now the town's gone crazy over thinkin' you two are destined when yer not!"

"Yeah, Ah know. But, c'mon, you know Ah can't back down from a challenge."

"This is one challenge yer just going to hafta give up. That bruise on yer cheek tells me she hates ya somethin' awful, so it's best that you just let it go, leave her alone, and help me kill off those rumors in town."

Cortland nearly jumped out of his skin at his father's suggestion. "But… but… what will they think of me?!"

"Ah dunno, and frankly, you shouldn't care. Yer not defined by your reputation in town; yer defined by yer character. Now, why don't you just focus on the work you have ta do and the family you love, instead of a mare that doesn't return yer affections? Ah'm certain you'd be much happier, son."

Cortland turned away and looked at the river in the distance once again. Haralson patted him on the back and said, "You can do it, son. Remember that yer an Apple, and we Apples are an honest bunch."

With that, the older stallion left his son to his thoughts.

* * *

Cortland still stared at the river, thinking about what his father just said. The thought of him risking his reputation in Nickerlite was frightening, and he wasn't sure he'd handle being the outcast of the town. After all, he was an Apple, reputed to be honest, and no lies could ever come from one of their mouths!

Not to mention that the townsponies were eagerly awaiting his conquest of the young Pinkamena's heart, which was frankly now impossible. How was he supposed to explain that to them, that he can see that she had truly been uninterested? It didn't help that he felt such a wild thrill in so much of his body around her unlike any other, which he was sure was love. After all, she was a beautiful mare, with her color contrasting the rest of her family, her perfectly sculpted body from hard work, and the sweet taste of her lips when he had kissed her. If only those lips smiled, which would make her perfection complete.

He was the perfect complement to her; why was she unable to see that? Had she been brainwashed by that father of hers? Had she been hit in the head with one of those rocks? Was that hired hoof distracting her?

The hired hoof. Cortland wrinkled his muzzle in disgust. Why would Pinkamena be interested in that scrawny, wild-haired, homeless colt? His name was Cheese, for crying out loud! What luck would he have in seducing a mare?

Then again, Cheese could pull off a strange charm that somehow made the Pies hire him and Cortland's family interested in him. That was a cause for concern.

Those fools; it was difficult to trust a drifter. If Pinkamena was attracted to him, it was a lost cause, for once he'd earn the bits he came for, he was out of town. Cheese would inevitably break her heart once that day came.

But how far away was that day? The thought of Cheese staying for months, working alongside the Pies, was an alarming one, especially if that charm was working its magic on those rock farmers. Especially Pinkamena.

"Now we can't have that darn colt stealing mah mare!" he hissed. "Ah've got ta drive him outta town somehow…" He tapped his chin in thought, humming a little tune.

"Ah need a plan to get Igneous to fire him…"

* * *

Bluejinx sat on the couch, looking over the notes that he took during that long day. Currently, dinner was being made, and the Pies were okay with him staying long enough to eat, but told him that he'd have to leave before night fell. The path back to town wasn't exactly safe in the dark, and he wouldn't want to trip and break something while he was alone. He made note of that, and set a time for him to return to his aunt's place.

"So, they move rocks, break rocks, smell rocks, sort rocks… a lot of stuff with rocks…" he mumbled. He went over his notes, reading the things that he observed the Pies doing and the answers to the questions he asked. Tough as they were, they didn't seem to mind his observations, and there was hardly any objection to any questions he asked. The only questions that had them wary were the questions about Cortland and the rumors, of which came only coldness and negative responses.

"Those ponies are gullible," Igneous had said. "They don't seem to grasp how annoyed Pinkamena is when he's around."

"If I could, I would knock some sense into their heads," Cloudy's response was.

"I've had to raise my voice to drive him away," Maud had stated impassively.

"You saw what happened," Pinkamena had growled.

"I wish he'd just give it up," Limestone had said. "Pinkamena was hardly interested, and she sure is much less interested now."

"Sometimes I wonder if we should move to some other place where rock farming's good," Marble had said. "Anywhere without a silly rumor about any of us would be nice."

Cheese had not said anything, only snorted and grumbled. Bluejinx had no idea whether it was his response to the question, or he was still angry about what had happened years ago. Either way, at least Bluejinx knew that Cheese was not too fond of Cortland, given his reaction to learning about Pinkamena being harassed.

Still, it bothered him that Cheese was still bitter over the incident that spurred him to make the decision to run away. He wondered if Cheese even missed the family he left.

Hopefully he could be reasoned with.

"All right, have some supper!" Cloudy Quartz hollered.

He was reminded of how hungry he was, and put away his notepad. Standing up and stretching, he trotted into the kitchen to find a simple meal of bread, mashed potatoes, and hay. He sat down with the mares that had prepared the meal—Cloudy, Pinkamena, and Marble—and soon Limestone and Maud had come to the table as well. After a few moments, Igneous joined them.

However, there was no Cheese in sight.

"Cheese Sandwich, you come down here right now!" Cloudy shouted.

A few moments of silence passed, and the sound of hooves descending down the stairs echoed in the house. Sure enough, Cheese slipped into the kitchen, and took a seat, holding a face not unlike those of the Pies.

Bluejinx noticed a confused Pinkamena sitting across from him, and she glanced at the equally confused Marble and Limestone. The three sisters seemed to exchange thoughts silently, and Pinkamena turned to Maud, who only blinked at her and nodded.

And so, they began to eat.

* * *

Dinner had been as quiet as Cheese's first with the Pies. While they hadn't been a barrel of laughs, they were okay with his telling stories at the dinner table after they visited the Apples' farm. However, he didn't feel like talking this time.

Out of all the towns that one of his brother's friends could have visited, why did it have to be Nickerlite? He munched on his potato, avoiding eye contact with Bluejinx. Looking at him would only remind him of what he had left behind all of those years ago, when he had gotten fed up with the misery that had plagued his childhood.

He was expecting a slew of questions from the other stallion, but the silence still lingered as the family ate. He knew Bluejinx was very curious about what he had been doing all these years; and frankly, Cheese was curious about things back at home. Even so, he was reluctant to ask, especially in front of the Pies. They wouldn't exactly understand the reason he left home.

Before he knew it, supper was finished, and the dishes were to be done. Cheese was given the chore, and Bluejinx volunteered to help. He inwardly groaned when the unicorn offered his assistance. Couldn't he wash the dishes in peace?

So they washed the dishes in silence as the Pies cleared the table and tucked in the chairs. A few stray crumbs were swept up, and soon enough, the Pies had gone into their own rooms, in the cellar to check on the grains and the rock collection, or in the case of Pinkamena, outside for a breath of the evening air. Glancing back, Bluejinx spoke in a hushed voice.

"He misses you."

Cheese dropped the plate into the water, splashing it on his face. He wiped his glasses in annoyance, and then retrieved the plate from the soapy depths. He gave a quick glance of acknowledgement, knowing exactly who Bluejinx was talking about.

Bluejinx held a wet plate in his magic as he dried it off. "Do you miss him?"

Of course he missed his brother. He didn't like to think about it too much, due to the memory of how hurt he was during that fateful day. There were times that he wondered just how hurt Tommy was over his big brother leaving, but there was a small bit of doubt of if he even cared. In fact, he was a little unsure if Bluejinx was telling the truth.

Still, Bluejinx continued to talk. "Look… I'm sorry for my part in driving you away. I never realized that you'd be upset over a broken accordion for over a decade."

Cheese ground his teeth. "I told him not to touch it. Besides, it wasn't just that."

"Oh? Would you be willing to share what it was then?"

"Pfft, figures that you didn't notice."

Bluejinx blinked in confusion. "Well, you were always quite shy… but come on, Tomato did want to show us just why he worshipped you. Admittedly, we all thought he was crazy…"

"Well, he was crazy. He couldn't see just how worthless I am."

"Hey now, nopony's worthless."

Cheese turned to him with a sharp glare. "My special talent is being a hobo. If that's not pathetic, I don't know what is. I could die, and nopony would care because I haven't done anything of worth in this world. I may have been worth something to my brother once, but with those friends of his, what does he need me for?"

Bluejinx was silent for a moment, and dried another dish. With a sigh, he answered, "Like I said, he misses you. He wants to apologize for what happened, and he wants his brother back. A sibling is supposed to be one's most steady and faithful friend, even with those tumultuous sibling rivalry moments that can't really be avoided. I certainly could never take your place."

Cheese shook his head. "Doesn't matter. Once he sees what I've become, he'll just forget it. He'll join the ranks of everypony else, those who think that I've failed at life, either ridicule or ignore me, and forget that I even have a name. Just who would value me then?"

The last of the dishes were dried and put away, and Cheese went to the stairs and ascended, saying in a low, gruff voice, "You've had your fun. Now leave."

* * *

The sun was touching the horizon now, and as she leaned on the fence, Pinkamena wondered how Princess Celestia could do it. Raising and lowering the sun was no simple task she was sure, and the thought of the ruler of the land learning just how to manipulate it was an odd one. And kind of amusing once she thought of the sun wobbling and weaving through the sky. It was enough for a giggle to escape her mouth.

_Wow, a giggle, _she thought._ I haven't giggled since Granny and Nana were alive._

First a smile, then a giggle. She was grateful that Cheese had been hired. He was bringing sunshine to her home, and she could feel herself growing warmer and warmer toward him with each passing day. Marble and Limestone may have been the first to soften, but she had been the first to smile. But the scrunching of their muzzles told her that they were close.

Even so, it bothered her that Cheese had been so cold that day. What was it that he had against Bluejinx? He was a nice enough fellow, and he sure didn't believe that stupid rumor. And yet Cheese was acting as cold as he did that time when she mentioned Manehattan.

That's when a thought struck her. Was Bluejinx from Manehattan, and had lived in the same neighborhood as Cheese? It was a bit of a stretch, given that Cheese could have made enemies all over Equestria, but she figured she could ask Bluejinx before he left.

Speaking of whom, he had just come out the front door.

Immediately, she galloped toward him. She skidded to a halt in front of him, making him jump and whinny in fright. After a few moments of his awkward staring and her heavy breathing, she asked, "Where… are you from?"

"Uh, Manehattan," he answered confusedly. "Why?"

Aha! There was a chance that Bluejinx was a figure from Cheese's childhood. True, it was a bit of a stretch, given that she had read that Manehattan was a big city, but there was still a possible explanation for Cheese's behavior. She casually kicked at the dirt and replied, "Oh… no reason."

Bluejinx raised an eyebrow, opened his mouth to say something, and then shook his head. "I better get back to town before the sun fully sets."

"Yeah, you should."

Bluejinx nodded and started walking away. "I thank you folks for having me. It was quite the experience. I'll do what I can to dispel those awful rumors."

Pinkamena gave a nod in response, and turned to go back inside. As she walked through the door, she started to devise ways on how to approach Cheese on the subject. Those periodic bouts of coldness were concerning her, and with somepony that Cheese seemed to recognize, she was closer to the truth about him.

Somehow, she was going to find out what was going on with him.


	22. A Breathtaking View

Under the light of a lamp in his room, Bluejinx looked over the notes once more, but his mind failed to comprehend the words. They were plain and simple words, he knew, and they were supposed to be as clear as day. However, his mind was unable to wrap around the words he had written as he observed the Pies in their daily work. Try as he might, his notes couldn't make sense in his head.

He sighed. He was just distracted by the recent memory of Cheese Sandwich being cold toward him. Having somepony be cold was nothing new for him; after all, his friend Tomato had a tendency to be that way when he was in a bad mood. He wanted to chuckle at the apparent trait that ran in the family, but it bothered him that Cheese had carried around the hurt for years.

Bluejinx had thought that mentioning that Tomato was missing his older brother would shake Cheese out of it. However, Cheese remained cold, turning him away with self-destructive statements that doubted that his brother would accept him at this point.

He slammed his hoof on his desk. Why would his friend, who refused to take insults aimed at his brother and constantly implored said brother to show the others just why he put him on a pedestal, turn his back upon a reunion? The only reasons he could think of were if Cheese had launched a painful and personal attack against Tommy, or if he was an irredeemable criminal.

"Oh, Tomato…" he murmured aloud. "You deserve to know the whereabouts of your brother."

He looked at the stack of blank papers on the corner of his desk. With his magic, he put his notepad aside, and slid one of the papers over until it laid in front of him. With a yawn, he pulled a pen out of his drawer, and stared at the paper, wondering how he should start his letter.

"Bluejinx?"

He nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of his aunt's voice. However, his sudden jolt had tipped his chair back and sent him tumbling to the floor. His head hit the floor with a thunk, and soon stars had filled his vision.

"Goodness!" Purple Prose rushed to Bluejinx and helped him up. "Are you all right?" She started combing through his snowy mane. "I hope that wasn't hard enough for a bump."

"I'm all right, Aunt Purple," he groaned. "Gee, what was that for?"

Purple stepped back. "Well, it's late, and I believe you should go to bed. What are you up for anyway? Still trying to figure out how to write your report on the Pies?"

Bluejinx inhaled deeply through his nose. "Well… still got nothing. So, I decided to write a letter to a friend of mine."

"Oh good, oh good, this friend of yours should have an update on what you've been doing. He'll be thrilled to know that you're trying to defend the good name of longtime residents."

"I just hope I know what I'm doing… after all, I haven't even been here a week."

"You'll do fine, sweetheart. Since you actually visited the Pies, you've got more of the actual story than the rest of the fools in town." Purple's brow furrowed and she looked down.

"What is it?"

"Oh… I'm still trying to wrap my mind around an Apple being dishonest. Why would Cortland lie about the state of his relationship with Pinkamena?"

Bluejinx shrugged. "Making himself look better? Igneous was blunt about declaring his daughters off limits to any stallion desiring to court them. I've seen plenty of ponies go after an attractive pony that's 'hard to get.' Betcha Cortland's one of 'em."

"Sharp boy you are. I'm so glad your mother agreed to send you over here. Now, continue writing to this Potato… he sounds like a marvelous friend."

"Uh… his name's Tomato. And how'd you know I was writing to him instead of Nimbus?"

"Oh?" Purple smirked with a glint in her eye. "I heard you through the door. You were writing to him about his brother?"

Bluejinx bit his lip. As far as he knew, he was the only one in town who knew of Cheese's brother. He doubted that Cheese told the Pies, and there was little chance of Cheese having a close relative in Nickerlite that would recognize him.

Purple giggled. "Well, if I were you, I'd go to sleep before writing any more. You might end up writing something you'll regret, and it could have unforeseen consequences. It's one thing to report on something the town is abuzz about; it's another to meddle in somepony else's family affairs."

With that, Purple left the room, leaving Bluejinx to his thoughts.

He sighed and picked up the chair. Walking over to his desk, he stared at the piece of paper, envisioning the letter he was going to write. How was just telling Tomato about Cheese meddling? After all, Tommy had every right to know that his brother was alive and well, and he would be overjoyed to know where he is.

Still, he was hesitant, because if Cheese was cold towards him, how would he be with his brother? He hadn't stuck around long enough to know the exact details of the confrontation, but he remembered how angry Cheese had been, and how depressed Tomato had been afterwards. A reunion could go horribly wrong if not handled tactfully, and he didn't want either of them hurt.

Nevertheless, after a few moments, he decided that he was going to write to his friend.

He wrote down the first few words, murmuring as he wrote, "Dear… Tomato Sandwich…"

He dropped the pen and yawned. He rubbed his eye, and decided that Aunt Purple was right. It was best that he go to bed before writing any more. In the morning, he could compose a well-thought out letter.

* * *

The rain was on again and off again during the next couple of weeks, much to the frustration of the Pies.

The rain would suddenly start on the family as they were working, which would always lead to groans and them seeking shelter in the house. It'd stop just as suddenly, and the family would go back out to determine if conditions were good enough to keep working, only to get rained on again. Back and forth they went, often wet and muddy from the sporadic rain.

Much to the amusement of Pinkamena, there were times where Cheese would just stay out in the rain, leaning out on the fence as his voice rang out over the fields in song. As tempting as it was to join him, that would bring about implications of deeper feelings that she believed she didn't have. Not to mention that she feared her singing voice wasn't any good. So, she was content to watch him from the window, and open it just a tiny crack to let his voice in.

She would be situated by the window, reading about fantastic places in Equestria and beyond, and ignoring her father's complaints of the pegasi not controlling the weather better. Her ears were locked on the voice of the stallion outside happily singing in the rain. Her smile was hidden by her book, and for some reason, her cheeks were warm as she continued to listen to whatever song he happened to be singing, usually being some made-up ditty about being on a "rock farm paradise".

He continued this little activity—despite Cloudy telling him that he'd catch his death out there—until Nickerlite's rainy season was over. And he did not show a single symptom of a cold.

Although the rainclouds were now gone, there remained the mud. Since the mud had to dry before the rocks could be spread out among the separate fields instead of being crammed into one, Igneous decided that they would have to wait until the fields were hard and dry enough before they could continue. Pinkamena figured that he knew that slipping on the mud and falling on the rocks would most likely result an injury harming his muscles or his bones, especially at his age. His having an upset stomach the night before probably factored into the decision.

So, as Igneous took a nap, and Cloudy went to town for a few errands, the Pie sisters and Cheese Sandwich were going off on a hike, which would be followed by a picnic on the nearest mountain. They packed their food and their shawls, the latter due to Cheese saying that the higher you climbed a mountain, the colder it got.

Carrying the basket and their canteens full of water, they began their journey. After trudging through the muddy fields, they went into the forest, and walked until they came across the river. There, they washed the mud off their hooves, with Cheese recounting his battle with Hank the Diamond Dog.

They walked much further, taking a path that led them up the mountain. Marble and Limestone identified different types of rocks as they ascended, and Maud would nod in assent every time they did so. Cheese was eyeing and talking about the various plants they came across, including those he had said had given him a rash in the past. Pinkamena suppressed a giggle, hoping to save the smile she was going to show her sisters until they reached their destination.

Finally, they reached a nice spot high on the mountain, which had grass soft enough to lay the picnic blanket on. There they set up their picnic and took out their shawls to wrap around themselves.

"Okay," Pinkamena said, opening the basket. "Maud has the hay sandwich." She pulled out said sandwich and set it in front of Maud. She repeated the motions with the other sandwiches, saying, "Marble has the daisy sandwich, Limestone has the cabbage sandwich, Cheese has the… cheese sandwich…" A few snorts came out of her nose as she stifled a giggle. Why'd he choose the sandwich that he shared a name with?

Shaking her head, she pulled out the last sandwich. "And I have the tomato sandwich."

"Yowch!"

The girls turned to Cheese, who had his tongue hanging out like a dog. He had dropped his sandwich on the blanket, and he was staring at it like it had bit him. After a moment, he looked up at the girls.

"I bit my tongue."

After a few moments of staring, the girls started to eat their own sandwiches. Cheese picked his up, and started to numbly chew it. Pinkamena glanced at him, noting the melancholy chill that was notable in his eyes.

"Cheese, are you all right?" she asked.

Cheese looked at her and forced a grin. "Oh, it's nothing, Pinkamena. I've bitten my tongue before."

Pinkamena raised an eyebrow. "I've never seen anypony so sad over biting their tongue."

Cheese bit his lip and avoided her gaze, taking another bite of his sandwich. It was obvious to Pinkamena that Cheese was lying, and was avoiding what was really bothering him. The question was just what it was; she hadn't mentioned his family, Manehattan, or Bluejinx. She looked around, trying to locate the thing that had set off his reaction.

Cheese stuffed the rest of his sandwich into his mouth, chewed, and then swallowed with little difficulty. He stood up, and walked across the grass to a large rock embedded on the path near the edge of the cliff. He sat on it, and looked forward, his back turned to the Pie Sisters.

She gazed at him, watching as the wind blew through his mane and rippled his poncho. Sunlight was giving his chocolate curls a subtle glow, and his posture was solid and upright, giving the illusion of a strong and stoic pony. He was steadfastly planted on that rock, staring at the horizon.

She blinked in astonishment, amazed that the stallion sitting right there was the same one she had to rescue from a rowdy gang. A nervous and humble colt with sticks for legs, somepony hardly fit for rock farming, a simple drifter that was down on his luck and only hired out of pity.

She had not thought much of him when they had first met; she had found it annoying that he had taken a job at her home. But now, she was proud to consider him part of the family. After all, she loved the sweetness and sense of humor that Cheese had, and was getting more impressed by the strength he was developing. And even if everypony else thought he was just a useless wanderer, she was going to keep seeing that strong stallion that was inside him.

If only there was some way she could help him with whatever problem he had.

"Pinkamena…" Marble said as she poked her. "Why are you staring at him?"

Pinkamena shook her head, and looked at her sisters. They had finished their sandwiches, save for Maud, who was giving the rest of hers to her pet rock.

"Uhh…" Pinkamena stuffed the rest of her sandwich into her mouth, swallowed it quickly, and stood up. "I'm just wondering what he's looking at."

"The view, obviously," Limestone said.

Pinkamena shot her a glare, and strode toward where Cheese sat. Limestone and Marble glanced at each other, and then followed. Maud stood up, pushed her hay sandwich toward her pet rock, and then joined the others.

Pinkamena sat down beside Cheese. Maud took her seat beside Pinkamena, while Limestone and Marble sat on Cheese's other side. All four of them held their shawls around their shoulders tightly, protecting themselves from the chilly wind. Within seconds, Cheese turned his head—first to Maud and Pinkamena, and then to Limestone and Marble—and smiled warmly.

"This…" he said, stretching his hoof out in a grand gesture. "…is what I've traveled."

The four mares looked forward, and beheld the horizon. From the point where they sat, they could see not just the rock farm, and not just Nickerlite. They saw a vast expanse of fields and forests, spread over both rolling hill and simple flatland. Several rivers snaked their way around these hills, and several small towns were dotting the landscape. The entire thing was ridged by a mountain range, and as far as the eye could see, there were many beautiful shades of green.

Pinkamena's face broke out into smile, her eyes gleaming with interest. "Wow… this is beyond the town and our farm?"

Cheese shrugged. "Well… this isn't all I've traveled. But, yeah, that's what's outside of Nickerlite." His brow furrowed. "Wait, you've never been beyond town?"

"No. We had to work all the time. No time for vacations, because the only time the rocks don't ripen is wintertime, and well, we don't really like winter."

Cheese blinked. "Oh… well… you girls never made a delivery like your father?"

"He doesn't want to admit he's getting old," Limestone said.

"I see. Well, I hope this cliff doesn't give way while we're still on it."

Maud knocked on the rock they were sitting on. "Don't worry. The mountain's not letting go of this piece of granite for a long time."

"Okay, good. Thanks, Maud." Cheese turned and pointed to a mountain. "On that mountain over there, you can see –"

"Wait! Pinkamena, what are you doing with your mouth?" Marble asked.

Pinkamena felt her mouth again, beaming even brighter at her sisters. "Smiling, of course."

"But… you… you never smile."

Limestone piped in, "Yeah, you haven't since our grandmothers died."

"Well, they wouldn't want to see me with a big frowny face all the time, would they?" She turned to Maud, who responded with a blink and a gentle nod of approval. "Maud likes it."

Cheese chuckled. "You know, I don't think it's against the rules to smile, girls. When you feel like it, just do it. It's a really easy thing to do." He clapped his hooves. "Anyway, as I was saying, that mountain over there is home to Canterlot."

The mares looked over at the mountain, and sure enough, a large platform holding a city was there. While it seemed small in their sight, they imagined that it was actually very big.

"Yeah, that's where the Santa Hooves incident happened. I still don't know why he went crazy." Cheese pointed to a far off patch of trees. "Over there is the Everfree Forest. It's full of dangerous creatures that could kill you with a single swipe of the paw!" He swiped his hoof to emphasize his point.

"Oh my!" Marble gasped.

"Yeah… dangerous they are. And the fact is, plants grow, animals thrive, and clouds move with nopony's help. It's really weird." Cheese started to chuckle. "Just why would anypony build a town right next to it, I wonder?"

"Wait, there's a town right next to it?" Limestone asked.

"Yep, Ponyville. It's where my first job was. It's a very nice town that I should visit again someday, see how things have changed since I last visited. Okay, anyway…"

And so, Cheese pointed out the various towns that speckled the landscape, telling them what he did in those towns and where his stories had taken place. While Maud had lost interest and started stroking the rock they were sitting on, Limestone and Marble were gazing over the landscape in wonder, with apparent tightness at the corners of their mouths, and Pinkamena was focused on Cheese's face. There was the passion for storytelling shining in his eyes, his warm, dimpled smile letting words flow out, and the various scrunches of his muzzle as he reacted to a memory of his.

She kept smiling through the whole thing, not wanting to stop. Soon enough, she even caught Limestone and Marble as the corners of their mouths forced themselves upward, and they too were smiling.

Finally, after a while, Maud looked up, and asked, "Do any of you know what time it is?"

The other four turned to her, the mares still holding their shawls. They glanced between each other, and shook their heads.

Maud blinked. "We finished lunch. It's time we go."

The others looked between each other again. Cheese, Marble, and Limestone stood up, and headed for the picnic blanket. They packed the blanket into the basket, and Maud picked up her pet rock. She didn't show any sign of surprise that the hay sandwich was gone.

Marble looked at Pinkamena, who still sat on the rock. "Hey! Pinkamena! We're going!"

Pinkamena looked out over the landscape, entranced by the blended shades of green. "You girls go on ahead. I'll catch up. Just let me memorize this view."

Cheese and Pinkamena's sister looked amongst each other, and slowly went back down the path. They kept looking back, making sure that she was not doing anything drastic. Maud and Cheese were the slowest, still shooting glances back, and silently agreed to wait for her at a certain point.

Pinkamena looked back at the path, hoping that they were far enough away so they wouldn't hear. Her heart was racing, and her breaths were deep. She squeezed her eyes shut, and let her song come to the forefront of her mind. Shutting away the memory of when it had been a weaponized chant against her, she kept on breathing slowly, until she allowed her voice to ring out.

_"My name is Pinkamena,_

_And I am here to say_

_That I'm glad that I can smile_

_And it just brightens up my day_

_For many, many years_

_I've felt so sad and blue_

_Until one day all the clouds broke up_

_And let a shining rainbow through_

_And now I can surely smile, smile, smile_

_Yes, it's true_

_And have a heart full of sunshine all the while_

_It's so nice_

_I feel that I should just smile, smile, smile_

_And let my family feel my cheer."_

She stood up, and took one last look at the valley, beaming with a luminescent blush gracing her cheeks. It felt so good to smile after many years. And it felt wonderful to finally get to sing again. Her cheeks felt warm and her heart raced at the thought of the pony who was present for her first smile in years, and she was grateful that he had come around.

She turned around and ran down the path to catch up with the others.

* * *

As they walked down the path back to the farm, Cheese could not get the song that Pinkamena had sang out of his head. He and Maud had walked down slowly, making sure that they could turn around and rush back at a moment's notice should something happen. However, the only thing that happened was that they had heard her sing.

While Maud had stated that it was the first time that Pinkamena had sang in years, Cheese was focused on just how lovely her singing voice was. It was high, but it the good kind of high that reminded one of wind chimes or holiday bells. It was sweet, much like cotton candy or a frosted cake. But most importantly, it was joyful.

First she smiles, then she sings? He just couldn't believe how blessed he was to be a witness to both of those miracles. Nopony in Nickerlite could ever hope to coax those out of any of the Pies, but Cheese had seen three of the Pie sisters smile, and heard one sing.

What a wonderful day it was.

As they made it back to the house and walked in through the front door, Cloudy was at the table, sorting through some mail. She looked up at the returning party.

"Well, well, well," Cloudy said impassively. "Did your hike go well?"

Maud and Cheese nodded, while Pinkamena, Marble, and Limestone grinned and answered in unison, "It sure did!"

Cloud stared for a moment, glancing between the three girls beaming at her. "Wait… are you… are you smiling?"

The three of them nodded, and Pinkamena asked, "Do you like them?"

She put a hoof to her mouth, and answered, "This is a surprise. I haven't seen you girls smile since you were fillies. Just what did you do up there?"

"Oh…" Marble said. "We climbed a mountain, had a picnic, enjoyed the view, listened to Cheese point out stuff we could see in the valley. It was really nice."

"And this made you smile?"

"Pinkamena started it," Limestone said, pointing to her pink sister.

Pinkamena scuffed her hoof against the floor. "Yeah, I did. What can I say? I love the view."

Cloudy raised an eyebrow, and looked at Cheese. "Uh-huh. By the way, Cheese, you have some mail."

Cheese blinked and put a hoof on his chest. "Huh? Mail? Me? But how—"

"Don't know." She tossed a sealed envelope at him. "Now hurry, mud's been drying pretty quickly. We might get some work done today."

Cheese caught the letter and held it close. "Oh, okay." With that, he hurried up the stairs, leaving mares that were as confused as he was.

_A letter for me?_ he wondered. _How is that even possible? Nopony should know where to send me mail! Who could it possibly be? How did they know where I am?_

He walked into his room and shut the door behind him. Taking a deep breath, he walked to his bed, sat on it, and took the envelope from his chest. He took his glasses off and wiped them, delaying reading just who the letter was from for a few seconds. He was almost fearful of just who this sender was.

He placed his glasses back on his muzzle. He took another deep breath, and then held the envelope up, reading the return address. He jumped and dropped the letter just as soon as he read the name of the sender.

"T-Tomato Sandwich?" he sputtered. He held his head in his hooves, staring at the envelope he just dropped on the floor.

How? How did his brother know he was here? He didn't have time to mull over the question before a voice yelled from downstairs.

"Cheese Sandwich, come down here! We've got work to do!"

Cheese jumped off his bed, and then slid the envelope under it. He rushed out of his room, the shock he felt from the letter making him nearly dizzy enough to trip down the stairs. Luckily, he caught and composed himself, and strode down normally, though the question was still in his mind.

And then it hit him like a ton of bricks. There was only one way that Tomato would know that he was in Nickerlite.

Bluejinx.


	23. Crazy Ideas

It was a very nice morning in the town of Nickerlite. The first few rays of sunshine were peeking over the hills, and each one was a spotlight on a lucky home. Those few houses were bathed in golden light, as if they had been approved of heaven. The inhabitants of those homes had mixed reactions; some welcomed the sunshine, and others hid under their pillows and hissed.

Lemon Drop was one of those who hissed while still curled up in bed, while his wife, Sugar Glider, was in the kitchen, carefully placing bread, cheese, and a few pieces of candy in a basket. She smiled upon a sunbeam warming her face, and she felt the foal stir within her, as if it reacted to her mood.

She hummed as she placed her checkered rag over the food, and she clapped her hooves in delight. She trotted out of the kitchen, went upstairs to her and her husband's room, and then dragged him out of bed. Lemon fought back at first, but relented once he realized that fighting back too hard might end up hurting Sugar or the foal.

Once downstairs, they ate a quick breakfast, with Lemon curiously looking at the basket.

"Sugar," he asked. "What are you planning?"

"Oh… well, since Pinkamena can't visit our store anymore, I thought it'd be nice to visit her home." Sugar smiled brightly as she munched on some oats.

Lemon stared for a moment before he shook his head. "Sugar, we can't walk all the way there when you're so close to foaling."

"Don't worry, I'll be fine," Sugar said. "I'm not due for a couple more days, and I'm sure we can snatch up some time to drop on by and say hello to the Pie family."

"Can't that wait until after you have the baby?"

"Not so sure the bread and cheese can." She gestured to the basket as she said that. "Besides, Lemon, I've been dying to meet the rest of the Pies. Plus, someone's oughta get them out of hiding, since that newspaper article and Cortland owning up to his lies mean that the ridiculous rumor is dying down."

"I dunno… I still hear whispers…"

"Well, if it's about the Pies being abusive to their daughters, we'll just have to see for ourselves." Sugar grabbed the handle of the basket with her mouth and left the table. "I sure don't want any leftover rumors to become bigger problems later on, hm?"

Lemon jumped out of his seat. "But… but… the baby!"

* * *

Cortland was up bright and early to set up his family's stand. He had pulled the cart full of apples to the square, and was just putting up the sign when he glanced behind him. A couple of early risers were out on a walk, and he recognized them as the town gossips, Sky and Scarlet. When they saw him, they shot him a look of disappointment and began to whisper.

He looked away and snorted, straightening the sign. Never had he been more humiliated when he had been paraded around town, forced to tell ponies that no, there was no courtship between him and Pinkamena Pie. That newspaper article about the Pies had made things worse, and he had contemplated attacking the writer of that article, though he dropped the idea because it wouldn't be worth it.

And then there was that Cheese Sandwich, who had ruined everything the day he stepped into town. Behind those big glasses was a handsome, tempting stallion, he was sure, and already it seemed as if he had brainwashed the Pie sisters, especially Pinkamena. What was Igneous thinking, hiring a drifter like that?

And much to his chagrin, Cortland was stumped on how to get Cheese fired and run him out of town.

Framing him for a crime would just end up being too complicated. Murder required killing someone—and there was no way he was going to do that, stealing required Cheese to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and there was one other crime that not only made Cortland shudder, but the supposed "victims" would be too strong for Cheese to pin down, anyway.

There had to be some way to convince Igneous that Cheese was not worth keeping around. Cortland couldn't just straight up lie about some sort of misdeed or incompetence of Cheese; he was sure that the Pie stallion hated him and wouldn't believe his employee would do anything worth firing him over. Having been employed for a couple of months, that skinny stallion must have been doing something right to not have been fired.

Either way, thinking up a plan to get rid of him was _hard._ Cortland's head hurt just thinking about it.

Then, as he finished setting things up, there came the very stallion that he had been thinking about, walking down the street. It was surprising to see the employee of the Pies out and about, since most days the Pies preferred to be isolated. That got Cortland curious; what was Cheese Sandwich doing in town, and this early in the morning? Wouldn't he get in trouble with his employer?

Another concerning thing was that even from where Cortland stood, he could see that Cheese was in a bad mood. Cortland wanted to laugh, thinking that maybe Cheese finally slipped up and lost his job. He rubbed his hooves in anticipation, grateful that he didn't have to do anything to rid Nickerlite of the pathetic wanderer.

However, Cheese stopped and turned to a building, which Cortland recognized was Nickerlite's print shop. Why he was headed there with such a sour face was a mystery. After all, that reporter was hardly mean in the section in the article about Cheese, having called him things like "reserved" and "focused on the job."

He watched from afar as Cheese knocked on the door, and was greeted by a tired-looking blue unicorn, Purple Prose's nephew Bluejinx, who jumped at the sight of him. There were a couple words exchanged before Cheese was invited in.

Curiosity taking the better of him, Cortland left his stand and trotted to the print shop. He placed himself under the window, and scooted near a hole in the wood. He stopped when his ear was directly beside it, and he could hear the ensuing conversation.

"…I didn't even give you permission to write him!" Cheese snapped.

Another voice, which belonged to Bluejinx, spoke. "Look, I don't need your permission to write to one of my closest friends. Besides, he has every right to know where you are."

"Well, why? Why should he care about a brother that couldn't measure up to everyone's expectations? Why should he care about a brother who was mocked relentlessly by every bully in that school? Why should he care when he's got friends that have more to offer him than a stupid accordion and a half-baked singing voice that even Mom derided?"

There was a moment of silence, and Cortland dared not move in case they heard him. After that moment, he heard a deep breath and the answer, "I think the question is if you care. Obviously, the letter Tomato wrote to you tells me that he's eager to hear from you, so I'm sure he cares. But you? Did you even read it?"

"Well… uh… it's not like you read it."

"No, it's meant for your eyes, Cheese. I know you're hurt, but you can't avoid that letter forever. What if one of the Pies goes snooping?"

"Pfft, they don't snoop. My past is none of their business."

"I don't know… seems to me like Pinkamena will get into another's business if it concerns her. Keep this up and she'll be concerned for sure… especially if it turns out she has a crush on you."

Cortland was grinding his teeth at that, and just wanted to jump in there and buck both their faces in. His anger was tempered once Cheese burst into laughter, and all he could do was blink in confusion and listen further.

"Ahahaha, yeah, right," Cheese said. "Come on, me and her? That's never gonna happen. Igneous wouldn't hesitate to fire me if he finds out I've captured the heart of one of his daughters. But he doesn't need to worry, I'm not aiming to do that. I'm just there to earn some bits to get by, that's all."

"So, you intend to get back on the road?"

"Pfft, that's what my cutie mark is telling me. Still, I do admit it'll hurt to go. I like the Pies. Sure, they have rough exteriors and could punch your head off, but underneath it all, they have kind hearts, and they don't mind visitors. Igneous just doesn't like stallions coming near his daughters; considering a certain one that harassed his second oldest to practically being unable to leave."

Cortland huffed. _Ya talkin' about me? Oh, Ah'm tempted to punch you right now._

Cheese sighed. "Sad, really, I could sense a free spirit in her when she sings."

"Sings?"

"With the voice of an angel… oh… and her smile that complements her big, blue eyes… yeah, she doesn't do either liberally, but when she does… wow…"

_Ah'm really tempted to punch you now!_ Cortland could only grind his teeth, for he didn't want to make a racket. The tone of Cheese's voice was making red flags pop up, and that was something he couldn't ignore.

"But, like I said, she and her sisters are off limits to any stallion."

"Yes, they are forbidden fruit. That must be very tempting."

"Yeah, true, I can see why Cortland—wait a minute! We got off subject!"

"…darn, I was liking this tangent."

"Of course you would. You just can't face that maybe I don't want your so-called help! That maybe I'm better off wandering Equestria for the rest of my life! I certainly don't want to be stuck in that garbage can next to my brother's pedestal! I promised myself that I'm never going back, and I'm not about to break that promise."

_Down on yerself, aren't ya?_ Cortland thought. _Especially with this oh-so-special brother of yours over yer shoulder. Sounds like he'd be ashamed to know how low you've sunk._

"You… you…" Bluejinx sounded ready to explode, but kept an eerie calmness to his voice. "You know what? Fine. Leave him hanging, and let him think that you hate him. Keep avoiding this problem, and I'm sure it'll go away eventually. Just know that his pedestal means nothing to him without his big brother being his dearest friend."

There was a momentary silence, followed by a snort. The sound of hoofsteps meant that it was time for Cortland to skedaddle. Besides, as the sound of some deep and obnoxious voices told him, he needed to get back to his cart and drive away those stupid thugs that had been annoying townsfolk for weeks.

He approached the thugs raiding his cart and munching on some of the apples, and growled, "Ah sure hope y'all are willing to pay fer them apples."

Their leader turned to him, and answered, "Oh? And what makes you think that you can make us do that?"

Cortland dully stared at the brown stallion before punching him in the jaw in an upward motion. The others reeled in shock as their leader fell to the ground, and they backed up tentatively, staring at the Apple stallion with wide eyes.

"What, aren't ya gonna gang up on me and land a hit for yer leader?" He turned around and took a solid stance. "Ah'm warning you; mah back legs are stronger."

He looked forward, and Cheese was heading back up the street, back to the rock farm. His first thought was whether or not if Cheese even had permission to go into town. If he didn't, he was going to get in trouble with his boss. That led to another peculiar thought.

"Y'all have jobs here, right?" he asked the thugs. Glancing back at them, he saw them nod. "Don't ya realize that you're risking yer jobs by stealing?"

The leader was up once again, rubbing his jaw and groaning. Glaring at Cortland, he retorted, "It's none of your beeswax."

Cortland turned back around to face them. "It became mah business once you targeted mah cart. Really, yer behavior is just plain stupid, not ta mention cowardly. The moment somepony punches one of ya out, ya run and hide. Now… do ya have the bits to pay for the apples you took?"

The group collectively twiddled their hooves and looked away.

"Don't tell me. You spent it all at the saloon."

They all grinned sheepishly at him.

"Ugh… y'all owe me good amount of bits for those apples!" Cortland glanced down the street again, and tapped his chin. "Unless you can get some information on a pony named Tomato."

"Huh?" one of the thugs asked. "Is he… like… a competitor or something that grows tomatoes?"

"Oh, no, he don't live in Nickerlite, or any nearby town. Ah hear he's a friend of that Bluejinx feller, and they write letters to each other."

The leader narrowed his eyes. "Why are you so interested in somepony you don't know?"

"Oh… no reason. I'm just doing a favor fer a 'friend' of mine."

* * *

"Gee, Jinx, you've been a nosy, nosy pony," Cheese grumbled. "I'm not going back to Manehattan, lest those ponies remark about how much of a failure and loser I am, comparing me to Tommy, and wondering what stallion pride I could possibly hold. At least the Pies don't care about my social status."

His stomach dropped when he realized what he had done, and remembered Pinkamena's habit of rudely awakening him every morning. What was she going to think when she kicked open the door to find that he slipped out and left the farm? At this point in time, all the Pies were awake, and they most likely knew by now that he was gone.

"GAH! I'm so stupid!" With that, he broke into a gallop, questioning just what he was thinking when he had left the house that morning. Was he really thinking that he'd return before the Pies discovered he was gone? Now he was expecting for Igneous and Cloudy to give him a good rundown on why that was a bad idea and why he shouldn't do it again.

Still, he couldn't help but think of the last time he had done something like this: the night he ran away from home. For the first time, he wondered who it was that had opened his bedroom door, and found that he had slipped out without even so much as a goodbye. The thought of his brother being the one to have discovered that he ran away was sickening, and he couldn't help but feel shame.

_Did I… did I let him down?_

He shook his head and snorted as he continued to run. _Why should I care? He let me down first._

The farm was just beginning to come in sight, as were the presence of a couple on the road. With a yelp, he skidded to a halt before he could crash into the ponies ahead of him, who had been startled by the yelp behind them and reflexively bucked. Cheese ducked, but one hoof collided with his forehead, and he found himself lying flat on his back with a throbbing bump forming above his eye.

"Oops! Sorry, Cheese! Didn't know it was you!"

He recognized the voice belonging to Sugar Glider. Sure enough, just above him were the candy shop owners, looking down at him with concern etched on their faces. He blinked in confusion at the sight of the two.

"Oh… it's fine…" Cheese sat up on his haunches, and gingerly touched the bump with his hoof. Wincing, he asked, "So, uh, what are you doing out here?"

Lemon Drop held a half-lidded look. "Sugar here insisted that we drop by for a visit. I tried to talk her out of it, reminding her that we have a foal due sometime this week, possibly even today, but she wouldn't hear it! I was worried she'd drop in the middle of the road and give birth right there!"

Sugar rolled her eyes. "Lemon, you worry too much."

"I'm worrying just the right amount, just so you know." Lemon turned back to Cheese. "Say… what were you doing behind us? Aren't you supposed to be over there with the Pies?"

Cheese grimaced. "I… uh… was kinda… restless last night. Wasn't thinking, and now I'm going to face the music…"

"Huh, restless," Sugar said, pawing at the ground and glancing at her flank. "We all get that way from time to time…"

"Well, don't worry, I don't think it's grounds for getting fired," Lemon said. "I'm sure there will be a warning, though."

Cheese sighed. "Yeah. You kind of choose a funny time to visit. Not sure how the Pies will react to yet another visitor. In case you haven't noticed… it doesn't happen all that often."

"Well, we're so close." Sugar clapped her hooves and looked at Lemon. "Let's make the most of our visit, dear. I'm sure that Pinkamena will be happy to see us."


	24. Foalin' Around

"The next time you decide to go for an early-morning stroll, you better tell us before you do so!" Igneous snarled, his teeth clamped on his pickaxe. Cheese just sat in front of him, watching as the older stallion chipped away at his rock, striking away with increasing force. After a few strikes, Igneous stopped and panted, staring him straight in the eyes. "For Pete's sake… you just went on a hike yesterday!"

Cheese rubbed the back of his head and looked away. "Yeah, I know. I mean, what was I thinking?"

"I can't read your mind, boy. You tell me."

Cheese drew on the ground with his hoof. What was he going to tell Igneous? That he was angry with that reporter for contacting his brother? That he was shocked and afraid of the letter he had received? That he was very confused about this turn of events? He sighed.

"I… guess I wasn't. I just was a little restless."

Igneous snorted. "Of course you were. Gettin' those itchy hooves like you travelers always do, and trying to walk it off."

"Uh… yes?"

"Hmph. And why didn't you stop this couple from visiting? This is no place for a pregnant mare to be exploring. They should have waited until their foal was born to come all this way to say hello."

"They were too close to the farm to turn back."

Igneous snorted and went back to chipping his rock. "I swear… ponies are suddenly interested in visiting us…"

"I… guess I should get back to work…" Cheese stood up and backed away. "So… uh… I'll just join the girls…"

"And another thing," Igneous added. "You seem to be getting awfully attached to my daughters."

Cheese froze and blinked. "Well… yeah… I-I have been seeing them as sisters… they are lovely girls, and I'm glad that I could get to know them…" The silence that followed hung in the air for what seemed like an eternity as he found himself facing Igneous' glare. Cheese took a deep breath. "I know, I know, no ogling them, you made it clear when you hired me. Still, don't you think you're being a mite bit overprotective? They are adults, you know."

"You've met Cortland. There are plenty of other stallions like him out there. I don't want any of my daughters with one of them, stuck in a life of misery coated with selfish actions claiming to be 'love.'"

"Yeah… but I have met more good ponies than bad."

"I'm not taking any chances, Cheese. Not even you have any leeway when it comes to any one of them."

Cheese didn't answer; he only stared at his boss with an expression that was barely readable. When Igneous had said the phrase "any one of them", however, the very image that came to mind was Pinkamena, with her sweet smile that Cheese found impossible to grow tired of.

Igneous coughed and sighed. "Now… go and get back to work. We're wasting daylight."

Cheese nodded. "Yes, sir."

* * *

With the others working in the fields, Cloudy was the one entertaining their guests. Getting visited four times within the past two months—not counting the unwelcome Diamond Dogs—she couldn't help but wonder just what was suddenly so interesting about them. Cheese's visit was mainly for taking a job and boarding with them during his employment. Haralson's was to talk to Igneous about dinner and helping patch up holes. Bluejinx came to seek information that would help straighten out those rumors about them.

And now, the candy shop owners, who merely dropped by to say "hi", despite the mare being heavily pregnant. Lemon had fallen asleep on the couch, while Sugar looked around. From the way she was pacing around the living room, seemingly interested in some unimportant objects, Cloudy was worried about a foaling happening at any moment. She wanted to scold the couple for this decision, but held her tongue so she could think of a less sharp way to put it.

"This place is very homey, Cloudy," Sugar said, having set her basket in the kitchen. "How long have you been living here?"

"Um… about 28 years," Cloudy answered. "Speaking of homes, why aren't you at yours? We Pies could have waited a few more days for a visit, and you need time to have your foal and rest before you do something like this."

"I was just impatient. I just wanted to see how the Pies were doing, and not get any information from gossips."

Cloudy glanced at the sleeping Lemon, and sat down in her rocking chair. "I don't see why you'd visit a family living in the back of beyond who don't really like anypony in town. Why don't you believe the gossip, anyhow?"

Sugar stopped at the bookshelf and was now looking at the Pie's collection of books. "Hm?"

"You don't believe the gossip. May I ask why?"

"Oh, Pinkamena's friendly with us."

Cloudy blinked. "Pinkamena? Of all ponies to be friendly with, she chose the ponies who own the—oh. Right."

Sugar looked at her. "Hm?"

"She always did like that rock candy that she and her sisters made with their grandmothers. Stands to reason that she kept her sweet tooth. Ugh… so that's the reason why she dilly-dallies."

Sugar grimaced. "You're not going to punish her for liking candy, are you?"

Cloudy waved a hoof. "What would be the point now? She can't go back to town unless she wants someone to bring up that incident with Cortland. And we all know someone will. Still, I'm glad that you and your husband are immune to that nonsense."

"Well… as homey as your lovely home is, maybe socializing a little bit more would prevent wild rumors from popping up. Nopony in town really knows you folks. Pinkamena was our little window to the rest of you, after all."

"Pfft, as if. We have constant work on this farm, you know. Besides, it's too late now, they've probably come up with a wild theory of how we Pies are all secretly evil alicorns, waiting to enslave the residents of Nickerlite and make them mine for a special ore. Anypony who tries to rebel will be turned to stone."

Sugar snorted and giggled. "I won't be surprised if that does pop up in town." She turned back to the bookshelf. "Ooh… 'Chip the Magic Pebble?'" Sugar asked, taking out a small book. "Did you read this to your daughters when they were small?"

"Well…" Cloudy clicked her tongue, silently asking herself why she had kept that book. "Actually, my mother did. And Igneous' mother. They took turns reading it… though one of them sang the words of that book."

"Ooh, it rhymes!"

"Uh, yes. That made it too easy to sing to. You can have it if you want."

"Oh, but what of your grandfoals?"

Cloudy raised an eyebrow. "Grandfoals?"

Sugar bit her lip and looked away. "I'm so sorry, my tongue slipped…"

"Sure did. I'm not that old, and I'm certainly not expecting any grandfoals any time soon. None of my daughters are in any rush to find any special someponies, anyway. Still, I said you can have it to read to your foal."

"Well, uh…" Sugar looked around, unsure of just where to put it.

Cloudy sighed. "Just put it in the basket you brought once I put the bread and cheese away."

Sugar smiled. "Thank you. I'm sure my foal will love the book."

"Yes, because little foals love magic pebbles."

Sugar nodded and walked into the kitchen. She placed it on the table beside the basket, and then went back into the living room to look around some more. "Did I tell you how homey this place is? Lemon seems to think your couch is comfortable." She gestured to her napping husband as she said this.

"That's the third time you've said that. Are you sure you're okay?"

Sugar paced some more, taking the dictionary from the shelf. "Super duper!" She opened it and carefully sat on her haunches. "Ooh… so 'gruntled' is a word! I've always wondered about the whole 'disgruntled' thing…"

Cloudy was growing more and more worried by the minute.

* * *

"Well, don't you girls just love those boulders embedded in the ground?" Limestone asked, looking at her sisters and gesturing to a half-buried rock that appeared to be twice her size. "This one even matches my coat."

Marble trotted forward, knocked on the rock, and put her ear on it. Then she quickly switched from her ear to her nose. With a deep sniff, she confirmed, "This one's super ripe, with a plentiful supply of gems and stone fit for gravel. Yep, we're going to have to dig this out and break it apart."

"All right then…" Pinkamena said. "Who digs?"

Marble backed away from the rock. "Not me, that's for sure! I don't want to find another skeleton!"

Cheese had joined them just as Marble said that. He stopped in his tracks, and a perplexed expression graced his features. All he could do was turn to Pinkamena and ask a confused "Huh?"

Pinkamena glanced at him. "Oh, yeah, the day you came around, we found a little bony friend under a boulder like this. Scared Marble half to death."

Limestone snickered, while Marble shot her a glare and appeared to be reeling up a punch. However, a look from Maud stopped them both. Then they looked at Cheese to see his reaction to what he had been told.

Cheese's eyes were wide and his mouth was tight. "Er… do you know why that was there?"

"Not really, but Pa thinks that it might have been a convict that went missing years ago while working here. Either that, or we uncovered a murder mystery that is older than him."

"Both ideas don't sound very pleasant."

"Of course not," Maud said. "It's death. It's something nopony likes to think about. I personally would rather think about rocks. They're less depressing."

"I… am actually on board with that idea," Cheese said, scrunching his muzzle and glancing back and forth. His eyes were on Pinkamena when he said, "I'll just think about the wonderful things life has to offer us…"

Pinkamena smiled and shook her head. She could tell that Cheese was feeling awkward talking about this, and it was awfully cute to her. She noticed the look Maud was giving her, which was a subtle shift of her brow and a slight tilt of the head, as if she was reading her and seeing something that nopony else was seeing.

"Well, are we going to unbury the boulder or just stand here talking about the philosophy of life and death?" Limestone asked, stomping her front hoof. "I'm not looking for the meaning of life right now, you know!"

"All right, all right, I'll help you dig it out, Limestone," Pinkamena said.

Both mares walked to the boulder, and started to scrape dirt away from it, starting off slowly, and steadily digging faster and faster. Before long, a moat had been dug around the boulder, and was growing deeper by the second.

Maud, Marble, and Cheese had watched them for a minute before Maud said, "Come on. We should take care of the other rocks."

The other two nodded, and followed her to another part of the field.

* * *

Well, this was awkward.

Sugar was just flipping through the dictionary, giving "oohs" and "aahs" of delight upon learning a new word, and proceeding to tell Cloudy about said word, giving her the definition, pronunciation, and origins. Cloudy didn't even care for the words; she was more concerned with the fact that Sugar was obviously distracting herself. She could see the twinges of discomfort in her eyes, and in her head, the question of why they didn't just stay home kept popping up.

Lemon Drop had finally awakened, and Cloudy didn't know if he made this situation more awkward or less. He was listening to the definitions with interest, but Cloudy could sense his dread of the upcoming birth. She didn't blame him; his wife had dragged him all the way out here despite his protests about her condition. It was only common sense for them to stay home, after all.

"Oh, here's one! 'Parturition'… it means…" Sugar's face fell. "Oh…"

"Well, what does it mean, sweetie?" Lemon asked.

"Is it something foul that I don't really want to know?" Cloudy grumbled.

Sugar broke out into a sweat. "Well… it means…" She paused to breathe through her teeth. "…the process of…" Her face contorted, and she bit her lip. "…giving birth to… YOUNG!"

Sugar dropped the book and breathed through her teeth, rocking back and forth and wildly flapping her wings. Immediately, Lemon jumped to her side and started stroking her back. He looked to Cloudy with panicked eyes, and Sugar started to grunt and groan.

Cloudy's eyes widened. _Uh oh._

* * *

"All right, Limestone, ready?"

"Ready!"

"Heave-ho!"

Out popped the boulder, seemingly hopping out of the hole that had been dug around it. It landed on flat earth with a _THUD_, bringing up the heads of four other ponies in the vicinity. Pinkamena hopped out of the hole, and smirked at the boulder, satisfied with the finished job of removing the rock. Limestone came out not long after, brushing and itching at her legs.

"Augh! Ants, ants, ants, ants, ants, ants, ANTS!" she screamed, brushing the tiny red insects off of her legs. With each brush, several fell off, but managed to scramble back up her forelegs to irritate her some more.

"Oh, bother," Pinkamena grumbled. She started to brush off ants from her sister's legs, only to get some on her own. She ended up leaving Limestone to fend for herself as she brushed off the ants that had decided to invade another Pie sister's legs.

"Okay, OUCH, they're biting now!" Limestone growled.

Pinkamena winced as that statement came true for her. The two galloped away from the hole and toward Maud, Marble, and Cheese, who they allowed to help brush off the ants. The result was all five of them continuing to brush off the ants for a few minutes.

Finally, all the ants were off, but the stings were present on Limestone and Pinkamena's legs. Staring at the small red bumps, Cheese said, "Well, those ants were unexpected."

"Not entirely, Cheese, we've dealt with them before," Pinkamena said.

Limestone was itching her leg, only for Marble to swat the leg doing the itching away. Shaking a hoof, she scolded, "No, no, no! Itching will only make it worse!"

Limestone rolled her eyes. "Well, sorry, princess."

"Don't argue right now," Maud said. "Let's make the paste and apply it."

Cheese stood up and waved a hoof. "You girls go. I can work with these rocks by myself."

"Well, even if you can, I think it's fair that I stay out here and help you," Marble said. "Should Pa ask about them, we'll simply tell him about the ants."

The other three nodded, and Maud took the two bitten sisters to the house. Limestone was more in a hurry, so she was ahead of her older sisters. Pinkamena kept pace with Maud, though her itchy legs were telling her to hurry. Still, she felt comforted by Maud's presence, and was content to simply make small talk to take her mind off the itchiness.

At one point, she ended up glancing back at Cheese, who was making a funny face as he sniffed a rock, and she softly giggled. Maud glanced back as well, and then she looked to Pinkamena once again, making that same subtle crease of the brow she did before.

"Pinkamena…" Maud said in a hushed voice. "I couldn't help but notice the way you've been looking at Cheese lately."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"I can't explain it… but it's different from before. It's even different from the way you look at everyone else. You're even smiling."

"Well… uh… I just think he's a sweet guy. He deserves to see us Pies smile, don't you think?"

"You're treating him differently from the other hired hooves we've had in the past."

"So? What's the big deal?"

"You haven't been this bright since Granny Pie and Nana Pinkie passed. There's something going on with you."

Pinkamena looked from side to side, and she could feel her face grow warm. "Uh, no there isn't. Nope, nothing at all. He's just a likable stallion, and I'm glad to consider him a friend."

Maud blinked. "Very well. I won't press it further. Just be careful, Pinkamena. I don't want to see you get hurt."

"I don't think he can hurt me. He's too nice, and he has only a fraction of rock farmer strength."

Maud looked at the rocks lining the ground. _That's not what I meant._

Limestone had waited for them by the door, and was itching her leg. Maud gently stopped her, opened the door, and then they walked in together. They were not prepared for the scene they walked in on.

Several pillows and blankets were thrown together into a makeshift bed on the floor, where Sugar Glider was lying on her side, breathing heavily through her teeth and sweating. Cloudy had a wet cloth on Sugar's forehead, while simultaneously telling Lemon in the corner to stay calm.

Lemon was pacing back and forth, mumbling to himself about how he should have been more firm in keeping Sugar home. He was producing just as much sweat as Sugar was, and he looked as if he was going to faint any moment.

Pinkamena looked at Sugar on the floor, and asked, "Ma…?"

Cloudy looked up to see three of her daughters standing there, taking in the scene. With a sigh, she asked, "Will one of you get the midwife? I'm not trained in foal delivery."

Limestone backed out the door and turned her head to the fields. "MARBLE! GET THE MIDWIFE! WE HAVE A SITUATION IN THE HOUSE!"

Pinkamena and Maud looked at each other. This was a very awkward event to walk into. Especially since it was happening in their own house, and that they had been planning to treat ant stings.

It was very awkward, indeed.


	25. The Old and the New

"Why in Equestria is birth so painful?!" Sugar snapped.

Cloudy was dabbing the wet cloth on Sugar's face. "I've been through it four times. Still haven't figured out why it was designed to be painful." She looked at the nervous Lemon Drop, who was being coached by Maud in breathing exercises. She could sense that he was thinking "I told you so," straight at Sugar, but knew better than to say it aloud during foaling. Saying the wrong thing to a mare in labor would give a pony the harshest tongue-lashing of their life.

At least she wasn't in labor in the middle of the road, halfway between Nickerlite and the Pie Farm. Giving birth on the dirt wasn't exactly the best for both dam and foal. And she was sure that Lemon's panicking would have been worse.

Pinkamena and Limestone sat nearby, their legs wrapped in bandages holding a paste to soothe their ant stings. Both looked at a loss as to how they could help, and could only watch as their guest laid on the floor, grinding her teeth to make it through a contraction. She released a breath and snorted, and looked at her belly.

"Why must you make Mommy suffer?"

Cloudy fluffed the pillow that Sugar's head was laying on, and asked, "Besides the obvious, are you comfortable?"

The pegasus merely nodded, and held the wet cloth to her forehead. Cloudy was wondering if the nod was a lie, but decided not to question it, since Sugar didn't want to move. With a sigh, she looked at the door, and then to Limestone.

"How long ago did Marble leave?"

"Uh... I haven't really been keeping track."

Cloudy snorted. "Great. She better be back as soon as possible."

* * *

_Get the midwife, get the midwife._ Marble's thoughts and heart were racing as fast as her hooves were, knowing the implication of what Limestone had yelled to her. She recalled the horror that both Igneous and Cheese had on their faces upon realizing what was happening, and they didn't hesitate to echo Limestone's order.

She had sped along the path to town, her hooves rapidly weaving around stray rocks like they had been conditioned to do since she was small. The number of rocks lessened as she galloped along, and soon enough, Nickerlite was in sight, With a final burst of speed, she carried herself across the railroad and skidded to a halt.

That's when it dawned on her: she didn't know who the midwife was!

It had been years since the Pies had a visit from the midwife, and Maud was the one who would most likely recognize her. Unfortunately, Maud was still back at the farm, and Marble had hardly any time to retrieve her and ask for her help in finding the midwife.

Noticing the townsfolk staring at her, due to her being the rare sight of a Pie in town, she decided to make her search quicker. So, she threw her head back, and hollered, "Does anypony know where the midwife is?!"

The ponies all simultaneously raised eyebrows and tilted their heads, wondering why in the hay she asked that. With a snort, she repeated, "I need to find the midwife!"

After a few moments of confused blinking, somepony yelled, "Nopony told us your mother was pregnant!"

"She's not! She was done at four of us!"

"Well, of course not!" somepony else shouted. "Cloudy's certainly not having any more! It's obviously one of her sisters!"

"What? No! It's--"

"I bet it's Pinkamena! She probably had a fling with Cortland eleven months back!" The same pony who interrupted Marble was pelted with an apple not five seconds after he finished that sentence.

An annoyed Cortland stood there, glaring at the pony with the crazy idea. "Pardon, but Ah'm not willin' to go that far 'til Ah'm married, thank you very much. 'Sides, Ah came clean about the whole gossip, remember?"

The pony sighed. "Shame she had to make you resort to lying."

Marble's brow furrowed and she ground her teeth. Why was this town full of idiots? The whole rumor wasn't Pinkamena's fault; why couldn't Cortland have accepted that Pinkamena wasn't interested sooner? At least there would have been much less of a mess to clean up.

"Wait, what if it was that Cheese guy who's the father?!" another pony interjected. "I knew he was no good!"

Marble gave the pony a funny look and answered, "He's only been with us for two months! Not ample time for a foal to mature after being conceived. And I shouldn't even need to mention how Pa would have his head for something like that. Besides, it's the candy shop owners! They're at our house and the wife started going into labor!"

"What are they doing there?" a mare asked.

"Just visiting because the wife felt like it, even though it was a bad idea, and for crying out loud, won't somepony just help me find the midwife?"

Bluejinx walked out of the bakery as she said that, with a roll stuffed in his mouth. He tilted his head, and sounded a muffled, "Huh?"

Marble spotted him, and then galloped toward him. She startled him when she stopped short of slamming into him, causing the roll to fall out of his mouth and land in the dirt. He looked at it sadly for a moment before looking up at Marble to hear what she had to say.

With heavy breathing, Marble sputtered, "So, the candy shop owners are visiting and the wife went into labor and none of us really know what to do so I was sent here to find the midwife but I don't know what she looks like and nopony's helping so maybe you could help me find--wait a minute I just remembered that you're new in town so you won't know--"

"Aunt Purple would know," Bluejinx interrupted. "She's been here for years."

"Oh, thank goodness!"

Purple Prose came out of the bakery shortly after. "I would know what?"

"Where to find the midwife."

"Oh? Well, I do recall she's the neighbor of the candy shop owners." Purple giggled, and beckoned for the two to follow her. "Well, whatever you need her for, hopefully it won't take too long, in case Sugar goes into labor."

As they headed to the midwife's house, all Marble could do was furrow her brow and hold a slack-jawed expression that said, "Are you kidding me?"

* * *

Cortland tried to remain unsuspicious as he leaned against the wall of the print shop, casually guarding the alleyway beside it with his body and a couple of barrels. He held a few apples in his saddlebag, in case he needed a snack, though in one case, he used one as a projectile against a pony that made a stupid assumption. Although it was strange how Marble Pie just came into town and demanded the midwife, at least it kept Purple Prose and Bluejinx away longer.

Hopefully those idiots would stay quiet so they didn't attract attention from the other print employees inside.

All that pony that had been slipped through the window--by way of climbing his stacked friends to the second floor--needed to do was just find some letters from this Tomato pony and then slip back out. Stood to reason that if Purple Prose boarded the second floor of the shop, Bluejinx would too. He wondered if they had slipped the pony--was his name Slim?--into the wrong room.

However, soon enough, from the alley he heard a cry and a bunch of stallions collectively yell "Oophm!" As they groaned, Cortland noticed the rest of the townsfolk were looking around, wondering what that sound was. He looked around as well, hoping to pass off as being just as confused as the rest of the ponies.

One of the thugs had gotten up, and he tapped Cortland with a stack of papers, pointed to the "Dear Bluejinx" and "Your friend, Tomato Sandwich" on one of them, and then slipped them into the saddlebag. With a thankful smirk, Cortland casually left the premises, glancing at the confused townsponies still looking for that sound.

* * *

Cheese perked up when he heard the sound of galloping from the hills. Looking at the path, it wasn't too long before Marble appeared, with another pony with her. Cheese started bouncing in place. "Hey, Igneous, Marble's back! She found the midwife... I think!"

Igneous lifted his head, took one look at the other pony, and nodded. "Yep, that's her all right. Haven't seen her in years. Gee, how is she still so spry...?"

They watched as Marble threw open the front door, and breathlessly announce the arrival before collapsing. Cheese winced, recalling the time he had to outrun Hank the Diamond Dog and ended up too tired to move. He could see that Marble was going to have a trip straight to her bed, and be allowed to rest for however long she needed.

Marble was carried inside by Maud, while the midwife was invited in by Cloudy, who Cheese could tell was relieved that somepony else was going to take charge of the foaling. Even though he was outside, he felt awkward knowing that somepony was giving birth in the house. It would have been more awkward if he was inside the house. He was sure he would faint upon witnessing a foaling, having heard it was messy and painful for the mother.

Was he going to have to help clean up after this?

Limestone and Pinkamena trotted out of the house not long afterwards, looking half-relieved and half-disappointed. They made their way toward the stallions, dirtying the bandages on their legs. They stopped in front of them, and looked at Igneous with a touch of awkwardness. However, Pinkamena briefly glanced at Cheese, and a ghost of a smile appeared before she looked back at her father.

"The midwife said that there should be as few ponies as possible when there's a mare foaling," Limestone said. "Since there was hardly anything we could do, we were sent away while Ma helps with the birth and Maud looks after Marble and coaches Lemon on his breathing."

"Say, isn't the mare supposed to be coached with the breathing?" Cheese asked.

"Lemon's panicking."

"Anyway, we have more to do out here," Pinkamena said. "Might as well shatter that boulder we dug out earlier. Dumb ants interrupted us."

"As long as you stay out of the hole, they won't bother you again." Igneous picked up his pickaxe. "Come on, let's get back to work."

* * *

More grueling work had been done, and before they knew it, it was time for a water break. As usual, Igneous and Pinkamena guzzled, Limestone sipped, and Cheese dunked his entire head in. Upon finishing, the others pulled Cheese out of the trough, unfortunately leaving his glasses behind once again. Pinkamena fished them out, and stuck them on his muzzle. Scrunching his muzzle and making a silly face at her, he wiped his glasses dry with the cloth he kept on his inside pocket.

Now, Igneous found it strange that most of his daughters had suddenly started smiling after they went on that hike. Not that it was bad; in fact, he was certain that his mother and his mother-in-law would have loved to see those smiles on their granddaughters' faces. But he couldn't help but wonder if they would have smiled if Cheese had been absent.

He wanted to believe that he was just filling in his temporary brother role a little too much to be just, well, temporary. After all, Cheese did say that he loved Igneous' daughters like they were his sisters. Whatever that said about Cheese's actual family--whether they were dead or not--was not his business, but he couldn't help but wonder about it.

But another possibility was nagging at his mind, that one of his daughters was falling in love with Cheese. Or worse, three of them were. Igneous ruled out Maud, who obviously had little interest in the young stallion, so that left Pinkamena, Limestone, and Marble. They had developed an interest in him during the past two months, and while it started out innocently enough, their interest in him had only been growing. It didn't help that the residents of Nickerlite had already begun incorporating him into their rumors.

If the three of them were falling for him, that would create a mess, especially when the day came that Cheese decided to move on. And if it was only one, who was it?

Looking at Cheese squeezing water out of his mane, Igneous sighed. Perhaps he was just overthinking, and there wasn't really anything there. His daughters were just happy to have a friend, that was all. Cheese had been nothing but nice and helpful to them, and never complained about his job being beneath him like plenty of employees before him. It was enough to get Pinkamena to treat him nicely, and for the younger three daughters to smile.

And he wasn't going to admit it, but he was being tempted to smile as well.

And then his stomach rumbled.

"Oh, darn it," he grumbled. "I'm hungry, but we can't go inside until the whole foaling process is through. That's an inconvenience I never thought I'd face."

"You want one of us to get an update?" Pinkamena asked.

"Nah, interrupting them's not a good idea. Take it from a stallion who had to sit out while his wife gave birth four times. Made that mistake when Cloudy was bringing Maud into the world. Had a horseshoe thrown at me."

Cheese's eyes widened. "Did it make contact, Igneous?"

Igneous lifted his hat, and pointed to a scar on his forehead. "What does this tell you?"

"...tells me it did."

"Looks like it hurt," Limestone said.

Igneous gave her a funny look as he set his hat back on his head. "It did. Still, despite the stinging of the wound, I can say that I was a proud papa upon meeting Maud for the first time. It's one thing to hold a tiny foal; it's another to hold yours."

Pinkamena blinked. "Does it even beat holding a baby sibling?"

Igneous looked at her. "Well... they're different. When I first held my sister, it was the greatest gift that my parents had given me... despite the fighting that came as we grew older. When I first held Maud, there was this sense of awe as I tried to wrap my mind around the fact that this new life was half of me. It's impossible to describe, you'd have to experience it to know what I'm talking about."

"Well, I know what the sibling thing's like," Pinkamena said, softly smiling at him.

"Of course you do," Igneous replied with a gentle tone and a nod.

Limestone sighed. "I can't remember meeting Marble."

Cheese merely looked away and kicked at the dust. He gazed at the ground for a moment before looking up at the clouds, lost in thought. Pinkamena looked at him, and seemed to show concern over Cheese's somber daydreaming.

Before she could address it, Maud had come out of the house, staring at the group. After waiting a few moments as all four noticed her, she said, "All right. It's safe to come in now."

* * *

The filly looked a lot like her father. The only differences were that she was a pegasus like her mother, and when her eyes opened, they were teal. She sucked on her hoof as she set eyes on her mother, and as she was given to her father to meet him.

Pinkamena was disappointed that she couldn't hold little Butterscotch, thanks to those ant bites and dirty bandages, but seeing the apparent awe and joy that her father had described earlier on Sugar and Lemon's faces was good enough. She smiled warmly at them, and for a moment, she swore that she saw the baby look at her and smile back.

The whole Pie Family was silent as they watched the new parents introduce their daughter to them. Butterscotch was making pathetically adorable whinnies at each one, and especially expressed a fondness for Pinkamena and Cheese--though it helped that the latter had been making a silly face at her.

It was for this very reason that Cloudy had taken Igneous aside and whispered, "I swear, that mare was planning this."

Still, even they had to admit that it was kind of nice having a newborn in their home once again, despite the circumstances. Sugar allowed Cheese to hold Butterscotch, and Pinkamena sat next to him as he did so. He was tousling the filly's light brown hair, and Pinkamena was speaking in a squeaky baby voice.

Cheese chuckled. "You know, a couple months ago, I would never have thought you'd dissolve into baby talk."

"What? Are you saying that you thought I didn't like foals? You are sadly mistaken."

"Oh, no, no, I just assumed you'd keep the monotone at all times. Though, truthfully, I had never thought about how you'd act around a baby."

"Well, now you have an answer for a question you didn't ask."

"Uh-huh." He adjusted his position on the couch to make himself more comfortable. "How long ago has it been since you've held a tiny foal such as little Butterscotch?"

Pinkamena glared at him. "Are you teasing me?"

"Maaaybe."

"Ugh... well, not since Marble was a foal. And here I have another chance to hold one, but the ants sabotaged it."

Cheese sniffed. "Such a tragedy."

"Well, how about you? Have you even held a foal before Butterscotch?"

Cheese's eyes widened. "Uh.... uh... well, I..."

"Don't tell me you haven't held May Flowers' colt."

"You remember that story? Well, yeah, he was cute, but I never personally visited May's house. She brought him to work one day and as such I got to see him. She didn't let anypony hold him. But really, nopony would let a drifter hold their foal, to be honest. So... haven't really held one in my years of travelling."

Pinkamena tilted her head. "Did you have any relatives you've held? Like a cousin? A niece or nephew? Or... a sibling?"

Cheese froze once again, and exhaled sharply, yet silently through his nostrils. Butterscotch started to get restless, and started letting out a wail. Taking that as the cue to return her to her mother, he did so, and then headed for the stairs.

"Cheese, wait!" Pinkamena jumped off the couch and blocked his path. "Okay, what's your deal? Every time we mention your family or ask about your home, you just turn cold and ignore us. What happened to make you act like this?"

"Pinkamena, leave him be," Igneous said.

"Okay, no, I'm tired of not knowing what's wrong! Cheese, this is hurting you, and I want to help."

Cheese gave her a cold, hard glare. "Why do you even care?"

"Because I care for you, that's why. Not just as a helping hoof around the farm, but for the pony you are. I like considering you as a brother and a friend, and to see you like this concerns me. Heck, I even think Bluejinx knows something, so if you don't spill it, I'll just ask him what your problem is."

Cheese snorted. "He doesn't know the whole problem, and frankly, nopony needs to. It's none of your business, Pinkamena. Let's not forget, I'm not going to be here forever, so don't bother getting attached to me! You'll only hurt yourself."

"So, you want to wallow in your pain by yourself?"

"Pinkamena!" Cloudy exclaimed. "Why is this so important?"

By then, Butterscotch was throwing a full on tantrum, and Sugar and Lemon looked at each other worriedly. The other Pie sisters were only watching the argument, looking between each other with a sense of dread. Maud was ready to jump in, just in case things took a turn for the worse.

Pinkamena and Cheese's noses were touching now, their eyes locked in mutual glares. Cheese's mane was beginning to bristle, and Pinkamena had her eyes set to icy mode.

The mare growled, "I suppose you think that nopony can help you with this problem? Just because you're too used to travelling? Or are you a drifter because you just plain refuse to face it?"

"I thought the Pies were supposed to be ponies who minded their own business," Cheese snarled back. "I guess the one who stood out the most turned out to be the nosiest! Can't you just let me be content and do my job here?"

"Ignoring the problem won't make it go away!"

"Being a snoop won't get you your answers!"

"Stop being stubborn and just tell me what's wrong!"

"_No!_ It's none of your business, it's mine and mine alone! I'll handle it on my own terms. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to my room. This atmosphere has been soured; you can tell by Butterscotch's crying." With that, Cheese walked around Pinkamena and stormed up the stairs. Not long after, a door could be heard slamming.

Pinkamena stood there, her breaths coming out in angry snorts. She growled in frustration, and headed for the front door.

"Pinkamena Diane Pie!" Cloudy said. "Where are you going?"

"I'm finding a boulder to buck into pieces!" And with that, she shut the door behind her.

Cloudy sighed and looked at Sugar and her wailing filly. "I'm so sorry about that... they seemed to have forgotten that you're supposed to be quiet around a newborn. What was that ridiculous quarrel all about, anyway?"

Igneous shook his head. "This is why I don't like getting into other ponies' business."

* * *

Cheese glared at the envelope, still unopened, and still containing the letter from his brother. His breaths were heavy, his mane was a bristled mess, and all he could think about was what Pinkamena had confronted him with. He could feel hot tears welling up in his eyes.

"This is your fault... if you hadn't been such an annoying and selfish little twerp that only saw me as a plaything, maybe I would have had less reason to run away..."

He held it in his hooves, the desire to rip it to shreds burning in his heart. He imagined the sharp ripping sound and the fluttering of tiny paper flakes down to the floor that was to be once he did the job. However, his front legs felt weak, and he could only bend it several times with little damage before giving up. Trembling, he dropped the letter, and then used his tail to sweep it back under the bed.

He didn't know who to blame. Tomato for the final push in his leaving? Bluejinx for writing the letter letting Tomato know where he was? Pinkamena for even bringing up that he had a problem and expressing desire to help?

Or himself, for avoiding the problem for years, pretending his brother didn't exist, and letting his bitterness fester?

He laid on the bed and stared at the ceiling. He squeezed his eyes shut and tears leaked out. He felt a hole within him, not only for the brother that he hadn't seen in a long time, but for the mare that he had just quarreled with. Once again, he felt like he was nothing but a huge disappointment to everypony he ever knew.


	26. The Nopony of the Family

After cooling down and apologizing for the ruckus that he and Pinkamena caused with their fight, Cheese escorted Lemon and Sugar home. Pinkamena was nowhere to be seen, and frankly, Cheese didn't want to see her, anyway. He was certain that she was still angry with him, which would hurt more than it already did. He still hated how she had prodded him, but he wondered if he had been a little too harsh when arguing with her.

He was quiet throughout the walk, merely guiding the couple around the rocks. Things were slow, but given that Sugar had given birth a few hours prior and that the sleepy Butterscotch being dropped was a risk, he could forgive them. The couple talked among themselves, but in a way that let him know that they were wary of bothering him about what had transpired earlier.

His heart felt heavy just looking at them. There was a time and a place for an argument, and in the same room as a newborn was most certainly not the place. Though Pinkamena had started it, he kicked himself for losing awareness of the foal and fighting back in that very room, especially since it was right after he had held her.

He shook his head. He apologized and they forgave him; why was he still dwelling on it? Was he afraid that Butterscotch didn't forgive him? She wasn't even a day old!

He didn't quite keep track of the time it took to bring them to their house, so when they arrived, he was wondering if the hours had been hours, or minutes extended by his thoughts. Still, the couple was home, and he had to go back to the rock farm.

"Well, it's a good thing we've got the cradle built now, right, sweetie?" Lemon said, nuzzling his wife on the cheek.

Sugar nodded. "Little Butterscotch will love it! She's going to be nice and comfy in her bed. But for now, I think it's close to feeding time."

Lemon turned to Cheese. "Thanks for escorting us home. Not that the Pies' home isn't nice, but we weren't planning on sleeping over. I'm just happy that nothing went wrong with the birth, Butterscotch is healthy, and Sugar was back on her hooves in no time."

"I'm still a little tired, though," Sugar murmured.

Cheese brushed his hoof on the ground. "Well... you're welcome."

Sugar held Butterscotch close to her chest. "So, Cheese, I hope you and Pinkamena will make up. That fight of yours was nasty... and out of nowhere."

Cheese sighed. "I wouldn't say 'out of nowhere.' She just brought up some behavior of mine that she's been noticing, and decided that she should prod me about it. Pfft, she should mind her own business, and leave me minding mine. What would be the point in trying to solve my problem, anyway? At best, I'm leaving in a few months."

Lemon scratched his chin. "So... you have a festering problem? Why'd you let it fester?"

"Well, why would anypony bother caring? My troubles aren't worth bothering anypony over; in fact, I'm sure I'll either get mocked for them or thought as a liar trying to gain sympathy."

"I dunno, Pinkamena seems to care an awful lot."

"Well, she shouldn't have. Does she really think she has the magical power to lift my burden and make my life better? Or to fix any problem faster than I can count to ten? Or that she'd make the most wonderful therapist? Pfft, no, she's a rock farmer mare. She's not qualified for that kind of thing."

There was silence for a moment. Cheese was looking down on the ground, still brushing his hoof in the dirt. Lemon and Sugar merely stared at him, glancing at each other every so often. An immediate response was not present in either mind, especially once Butterscotch started to fuss.

"Oh!" Sugar said. "Feeding time!"

With that, she trotted inside the house, leaving the two stallions alone. The awkward silence lingered once again, and Cheese turned around and started to walk away, his head hanging low.

Suddenly, Lemon spoke up. "You know, she may not be a professional... but admitting your problem to somepony is part of resolving whatever issues you may have. Perhaps you should take advantage of her willingness to listen."

Cheese looked back at him. "But... what if she judges me for not being strong enough to handle it on my own?"

"If she truly loves you, she'll be reasonable."

Cheese flushed at that. "Um, love? I'm sorry, but the implications of that word-"

Lemon interrupted him with a chuckle. "You bickered like a married couple."

"That doesn't mean anything, Lemon. We argued... kind of how like siblings argue! Yeah, that's it. No romantic attraction involved whatsoever, but a kind of love-and nosiness-present! Ehehe..."

Lemon raised an eyebrow. "Well, all right then. I expected sibling fights to have more kicking and screaming like Sugar described her brothers and sisters would do. I wouldn't know, I'm an only foal." With a shrug, he held out his hoof. "Anyway, I hope we can see you again, Cheese."

Cheese turned back around and shook his hoof. "Yeah, it'd be nice. The Pies sure seem to like you."

"It would be great to see you folks at the carnival that's coming up in a couple of weeks-of course, considering the whole Cortland fiasco..."

"I know, I know. Darn, I like carnivals." Cheese whirled around and started heading back to the farm. "Anyway, goodbye! I wish you well in raising your daughter!"

"And I wish you well in your work! And don't forget to make up with Pinkamena!"

Cheese gulped as he looked away. Already his hooves felt heavy as they clopped in the dirt, taking him to the inevitable confrontation with her. He was worried about how angry she still was, and if she'd react to him with violence.

He shook his head. _No, she wouldn't._ Taking a deep breath, he reminded himself that the reason he was so scared was that there was a possibility for being judged for what had happened between him and his brother. After all, seeing that she got along well with her sisters, he was assuming it was shameful for him for not keeping in contact with Tomato. The bickering between Limestone and Marble was not even enough to drive a wedge between them.

_Should I tell Pinkamena my story?_ Of all the stories of his life he could tell, this one was the one he wanted to share the least, due to it being so painful. He was partly grateful that nopony had even bothered to ask for all these years, but he wasn't sure if it was helping him or hurting him. The simple task of talking was very daunting when it came to that one subject, and already he could hear her scolding him for abandoning and ignoring his family instead of trying to mend his relationship with them.

And yet, his gut was telling him that it was time he let it out.

* * *

Pinkamena had her face in the trough and was taking generous gulps of cool water. She had managed to release most of her anger on an unfortunate boulder she found in the forest, as well as some dead trees she had come across. Despite what she had been doing, she was still frustrated over Cheese's stubbornness.

_What is he hiding?_ A list of possible scenarios were popping up in her head, all doing with the few clues she had: he was reluctant to talk about his family, he's from Manehattan, he's been traveling since he was a colt, and he knew Bluejinx. So far, she had thought of theories consisting of Cheese being abused by his parents, orphaned, homeless and living on the streets of Manehattan, raised by a merciless older sibling, and having lost a younger sibling in some kind of tragedy. Fitting Bluejinx into any of those theories was a bit difficult, though.

She watched the sun start to set, wondering where the time had gone. She wasn't entirely sure how long she had been gone, or if her family had worked the rocks without her. All she knew was that she peeked in the window to find that the candy shop owners were gone, and the others were cleaning up. Cheese hadn't been in there, so either he was still sulking in his room or he had escorted Lemon and Sugar home.

She should have been inside, helping her family clean up, but she stayed out, not wanting to face a scolding about how she shouldn't bug Cheese about something he doesn't want to talk about. His business is his business, they would say, and that she shouldn't pry. Her Ma, her Pa, and her sisters were content to only hear what Cheese wanted to say about his past. But Pinkamena was still bothered by that single unresolved issue of his, and she wanted to understand why he acted the way he did.

Still, she couldn't help but feel that she had been too abrasive with him. Sweet as he was, he had his limits, and she certainly had been hitting them. Her heart felt heavy at the thought of Cheese still being angry with her for her pushiness, and she wouldn't be surprised if he avoided talking to her for a while. She was even worried that she might have made his issue worse, and made him less likely to want to resolve it.

_I suppose I should apologize for being so pushy,_ she thought. _I should just let him talk about it when he's good and ready. Of course, would he ever be ready?_

That's when she noticed Cheese coming up on the path. She didn't hesitate one second to break into a gallop toward him. Her chest heaving and heart pounding, she felt a great joy at his presence, and yet a fear that he was still upset with her. Even so, she continued to run toward him, until she skidded to a stop.

Her actions surprised him, especially when her skidding made her bump her nose on his, and both parties ended up flushing. They didn't move for a few moments, and merely stared into each others' eyes. Pinkamena's thoughts wandered to how his eyes were reminding her of the vast expanse that Cheese had shown her and her sisters when they climbed that mountain. Her heart was still pounding, and that warmth she had been feeling often arose within her once again.

Cheese backed up, and she realized that she must have scared him. With a sigh, she said, "Excuse me for that. I got a little caught up in greeting you."

Blinking, Cheese asked, "You're not mad at me?"

"I was... but I've pretty much bucked it all out. I was wondering if you were mad at me."

"Oh... well, don't worry, I cooled down. Took Sugar and Lemon home."

"That's good." Pinkamena looked away. "Look, I'm sorry for pushing you about... whatever it is you're hiding. I should have realized you're not ready to talk about it, and that putting pressure on you wasn't helping. Still, when you're ready, I'm all ears."

Cheese winced. "A-Are you sure? Because, well, maybe I shouldn't have lost my temper back there... and well... you were right that it's hurting me. In fact, I've been debating whether or not I should finally bring it to light..."

"Look, you don't have to if you don't want to. I can wait."

Cheese stared at her for a moment, and took a deep breath. "Well... I can't."

He trotted to the fence and motioned for her to follow him. Once Pinkamena complied and caught up to him, they both leaned forward on the fence, and stared forward at the rocks. Crickets began to chirp, and from somewhere in the forest, an owl was hooting a haunting song. Both ponies were silent, and Pinkamena was just watching Cheese breathe, in order to compose himself. She held her breath, awaiting the moment of truth.

With an exhale, Cheese murmured, "It's not as spectacular as you would think. It's just a simple story of loneliness and disappointment."

"I'm not looking for spectacular, Cheese."

Cheese smiled sadly, and began, "Well, you know how you asked me when the last time I've held a baby was? Well, the last time I did was when I was three, when my little brother Tomato was born."

"So, you have a brother?"

Cheese nodded. "And let me tell you, the little guy worshiped me and followed me wherever I went. I can still remember the way we just played together, laughed together, and even danced together. He'd do a stupid little dance whenever I played my accordion, we'd be having adventures as 'cowspies', and we often had tickle fights and snowball fights." Cheese started to chuckle. "I always won those."

Pinkamena giggled at the picture in her mind of two colts tickling each other. Though she had no idea what Tomato looked like, she figured his name meant that he was a reddish color.

"And even though our parents... weren't great, and school was the most miserable thing ever-thanks to me being awfully shy, always targeted by bullies, and struggling in my studies-playing with my brother would always brighten up my day." His smile fell into a frown. "And then the day came where he started school.

"It started out innocently enough. We met Bluejinx that day, and since he was lonely, Tommy rushed to his side and befriended him, promising fun times, especially with big brother Cheese, who was 'the coolest pony in the world.' And then Tommy made another friend... and another... and another. There seemed to be no end to how many ponies he could attract, and it was scaring me.

"Soon enough, he was invited just about everywhere, while I was left to fend for myself. When he was at a friend's place, I was either home alone or having our nag of a mother on my case for whatever woe of the week. And when Tommy had friends over and wanted me to play with them, well, my shyness and... well... my dislike of those brats made me refuse every time. I hated hurting his feelings, but frankly, I was certain that the very moment Tommy looked away, his friends would gang up on me like everypony else, making fun of my hair, my glasses, my lack of social skills, and saying that my 'super cool brother' should just stop caring about boring ol' me."

Cheese? Boring? Considering how days on the rock farm had become less tedious since he arrived, Pinkamena could scarcely believe it. She held her tongue, leaving her commentary for the end of Cheese's story.

Cheese sighed and grinded his teeth. "Then there were the grades. Like I said, I was not meeting my Mom's high expectations, since she was dreaming of me becoming a doctor or something like that. She was always scolding me for being distracted with hobbies like playing my accordion, making art, or reading comics, and made me have longer and longer study times. Meanwhile, Tommy was passing his classes with flying colors. So, naturally, there came the comparisons, with ponies wondering why I couldn't have good marks like my baby bro, or why I wasn't as fun as he was, or just referring to me as 'Tommy's brother' instead of 'Cheese'. It didn't make me strive to be better; all it did was make me jealous of him and shut him out even more than I already was!

"I was really doubting Tommy's sincerity about wanting me to socialize more... all I felt like was his plaything, and that with his army of friends... well, what did he need me for? Still, I clung to one shred of hope that maybe, just maybe, he still loved me as his irreplaceable brother... I mean, he was the only friend I had. Well, it was shattered the moment I found my busted accordion, courtesy of him and his bratty buddies. After that, I gave up, and took off, since I was sure nopony in Manehattan would miss me. What's one colt in a city of millions, anyway?"

Running a hoof through his mane, he added, "And... well... after a while, my cutie mark appeared, and well, just one look at it told me that once my family saw it, I'd be branded a failure."

Pinkamena looked at the hoofprints on his flank, reminding her that he was a drifter. She silently sighed at the thought of the day when Cheese would pack up and continue his journey to wherever.

"If I had gotten a different cutie mark... maybe, just maybe I would have returned and shown my family that I could do something right. But, what's passed has passed, and well, I suppose little bro's in college now, and soon to be living the dream life. Hmph, well, I'm not around to hinder him by being embarrassingly pathetic. Good thing I stayed away."

Pinkamena blinked. "Don't you ever miss them?"

Cheese looked down. "I don't like to think about them too much... Mom was more naggy and less supportive, and Dad was always busy. It's hard to miss them when you don't feel that they'd miss you. But Tommy? I do miss him... it's just... I'm afraid that he might have forgotten about me, or that if I see him again, he'd be ashamed to be my brother, seeing as I'm a hobo. Why go back and face an unwelcome response to who I've become?"

He sighed, and continued looking at the dust beneath him. "Well, there you have it. You've just heard the story of the nopony of the Sandwich Family."

Pinkamena stared at him, noting the tone which he had said that. She recalled the first night he had spent at the farm, where in response to her sneer about wounding his stallion pride, he had replied, "What stallion pride?" She had thought it was just banter; it was actually a window into his low self-esteem. She had never thought about how it was like to be overshadowed by a sibling, though frankly, there wasn't really any reason on this farm to be compared other than strength. Even then, none of the Pies really cared, as long as the job was done.

"So, you think they don't love you."

Cheese took a deep breath. "I haven't really been given reason to believe that."

"Shame, really. If I was in Tomato's horseshoes, I'd be devastated to find that you ran away."

"I have wondered about that sometimes, Pinkamena. Bluejinx has even told me that Tommy misses me, but I can't really bring myself to believe it."

"I don't doubt it. Being a younger sibling myself, I would definitely miss Maud if she decided to run away."

Cheese turned to her and raised an eyebrow. "I don't see why she would; she loves rocks, this place is full of rocks."

"Well, she has expressed desire to study types of rocks all over Equestria and learn more about them. She hasn't told Ma and Pa, though. She's a little unsure on just how let them know that she wants to go out and get a Rockterate in rock science."

"I don't see why they should be opposed. It's rock science."

"True. Still, we're getting off track. My point is that since you said that Tommy had been admiring you since he was a baby, I have a hard type grasping how he wouldn't miss you when you decided to run away. Maybe he's been wondering what he did wrong, and what he could have done differently so that you wouldn't have run away. I highly doubt anypony would forget their sibling. Just ask yourself; if he knew you were here, what would he do?"

Cheese tapped his chin in thought, and his eyes widened. Pinkamena could tell that there was something that clicked, though she didn't exactly know what to expect. Still, she smiled, for she could see that there was some progress. She opened her forelegs, and said, "Come here. You need a hug."

With a warm smile, he took up on her offer, and they wrapped each other in a warm embrace. Her head was on his chest, and she could hear his heartbeat. That heartbeat had been comforting back when she had been humiliated in her last trip to town, and it had been one of the warmest hugs she had ever been offered. It was nice to offer a hug of her own when Cheese felt down. Still, she felt as if there was something missing.

They pulled out of the hug, only for Pinkamena to get a crazy idea. She grabbed his head, lowered it to her level, and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. Immediately, Cheese blushed, and gave her a wide-eyed look with his mouth in an O. He rubbed his cheek where the kiss had been planted, and was unsure of how to feel about it.

Looking away, she said, "I... uh... just thought I'd add to the hug. Best not tell anypony."

Cheese nodded, and then started walking to the house in a daze. Pinkamena sighed, mentally kicking herself for that action. Why did she do that? Why hadn't her hug been enough? Shaking her head slowly, she had to admit it was nice to get to kiss such a wonderful stallion on the cheek. She wondered how it'd be if she got him on the lips, but shoved that thought aside.

She started walking to the house. And then she scowled, realizing that she couldn't avoid being scolded for not minding her own business forever.

* * *

Cheese felt as if he had been outside one moment, and in his room the next. It seemed like that the moment that Pinkamena had kissed him on the cheek, he had lost track of time and his own movements. He still rubbed it, feeling his heart go aflutter at the very thought of her actually kissing him. He felt slightly disappointed that it wasn't on the lips, but snapped out of it upon remembering what Igneous had said upon hiring him.

He smacked himself on the forehead. "Stupid! What am I doing? Is she crushing on me? Am... am I falling in love with her? Oh, dear, I hope not... Igneous is going to kill me."

He shook his head, and focused on what he needed to do next. He went to his bed, reached under it, and grabbed the envelope. Sitting on his bed, he took a deep breath, and ripped it open. The folded paper slipped out, and Cheese proceeded to unfold it, and read:

_Dear Cheese,_

_So after all these years, I finally have news of you. I was thinking that you might have been dead, and that I'd never have the chance to see you again. What a strange coincidence that Bluejinx happened to find you in the same town that he was going to work!_

_If you haven't torn this letter up, I hope you hear me out. I admittedly was very afraid to write you, because I fear you're still angry with me. I would very much like to apologize for my part in driving you away, but I think it would be better if we were face to face for that. It would be better conveyed with my voice than a letter, and I am honestly very curious as to how you look now that we're both adults._

_If you accept, I have to warn you: I'm not quite the same colt you knew. Not only am I taller, but I've calmed down considerably since you left. You'll even find that I've styled my hair differently. Even so, there is one thing that will never change: the fact that I'm still your little brother. Just name a time and place, and I'll do my best to get there._

_If you don't, please let me know. I understand if you don't want anything to do with me; I haven't been the best little brother. I just want you to know that I still love you, my big brother._

_Sincerely, your baby bro, Tomato Sandwich_

_P.S. Don't worry, I know about the rock farm._

Cheese read it over and over, letting the words sink in. Part of him wanted to scream that it was a fake, and that it wasn't Tommy's mouthwriting; but, then again, Tommy grew up, and so his writing was definitely more clean and crisp than it had been when he was a colt.

And then there was the curiosity of how Tomato grew up. Considering their parents, he wasn't surprised that Tommy basically said he had been watered down. He tried to imagine what he had become; unfortunately, all he could see was that grinning and laughing colt, bouncing off the walls as he always had. It was hard to imagine him having grown into a calm stallion.

Finally, there was the possibility that maybe, just maybe, Tommy really was willing to make up. There was a chance that they could be best brother buddies again, and that he'd be willing to meet the Pies. Cheese smiled, knowing that Pinkamena would definitely like to meet him, and that the Pies surely wouldn't mind a Sandwich brother as a guest.

But what of the time and place? No doubt Tomato had some sort of schedule; how was he going to do this?

This excitement surprised Cheese. After all, hadn't he been bitter for the past several years? Did telling Pinkamena really help him? Or was there still lingering post-kiss giddiness? Didn't matter; here was a chance to fix things, and why shouldn't he take it?

He looked at his cutie mark and rubbed it. "I just hope that doesn't matter... hm, maybe I should sleep on it. Best to have a clear mind before I make my decision. Don't want to do something I'll regret."

He yawned and rubbed his eye. Making a decison while sleepy was not the best thing.

He didn't want to screw this up.


	27. The Letter

Hiding out in his clubhouse early in the morning, Cortland read the letters over and over again, seeing what snippets of the life of this mysterious Tomato Sandwich he could find that would be useful. After all, if this brother of Cheese Sandwich could provide some dirt on him, Cortland would be more than happy to use that to his advantage. Any kind of dirt would be suitable.

Still, all he was reading was about mishaps and memorable moments in Manehattan that the fellow had to write about. Cortland skimmed through mentions of some sort of Bridleway number on the street, a reckless taxi puller, and rumors of a sewer monster. Tomato seemed to write about things like that, as well as how he was doing and how naggy his mother was. There were also mentions of other friends, but Cortland didn't care about them.

There were a couple of letters that mentioned Cheese. One was expressing surprise at the whereabouts of said pony; the other saying that he built up the courage to write him, and was nervously awaiting his reply. There was a sense of downheartedness at the possibility that Cheese wouldn't answer at all, thanks to some "accordion incident".

Cortland knew that mentioning Cheese's family was a sore spot; his reaction when it was brought up during the Pies' visit to the Apple homestead told him that much. Stayman and Idared had also confirmed that he was cold upon being asked where he was from and who his family was. Whatever this "accordion incident" was, it had hit him hard.

Even so, Cortland still didn't feel any closer to getting Cheese fired and running him out of town. How in the hay was he supposed to use this Tomato to do it, anyway? Igneous wouldn't care about Cheese's brother unless they had been partners in crime or something and posed a threat. And since Igneous would be a tough pony to convince, especially for one who had been relentlessly pursuing his daughter…

He sighed. "What could Ah even say to him? That pony hates mah guts."

He stood up and stretched his legs. He trotted out of the treehouse, and headed for the house, shaking his head. It was no fun being stumped.

After walking past a fair number of trees, the house was in view, and his father was casually leaning against the wall.

"Howdy, Cortland," Haralson said. "Mind goin' to the post office later today? Ah'm sendin' a letter to Granny Smith."

"Psh, what for?"

"Ah've just been writin' her to see how the Ponyville branch of our family is doin'. Now, don't try ta argue, and just go."

Cortland rolled his eyes, and then went back inside the house.

* * *

"Okay, how do I start this thing?" Cheese mumbled, rocking back and forth on his bed, looking at the blank paper in front of him. Rolling his pencil between his teeth back and forth, he racked his brain for the words to put down.

"Okey dokey… um… 'Dear Tomato Sandwich'…" He shook his head. "Nah, too formal. Hmm… 'To Whom It May Concern'… nope." He knocked on his head and exclaimed with a grin, "'Hey, bro! How ya doin'?!" He held his grin for a few moments before it fell into a frown. "Ugh… that was stupid."

"Cheese, what are you doing?"

Cheese turned to the doorway, where Pinkamena stood, tilting her head. Tapping his hooves together, he looked away, flushing. "I… uh… I… thought about what you said last night."

Pinkamena strode to the bed and sat beside him. "Really?"

"Yeah, I'm writing him a letter."

Pinkamena smiled. "Good to hear. That was faster than I thought it would be."

"Ah, well… that letter I received was from him; I just took forever to read it."

Pinkamena gave him a mild scowl. "So, you had his letter the whole time?"

"Hey, you prompted me to read it!" Cheese reached over to the nightstand, grabbed the letter, and gave it to her. "Take a look for yourself, Pinks."

She raised an eyebrow at the nickname, but then shrugged it off and read the letter. Her face was impassive when she first started to read, but soon her eyes were growing wider and wider as she continued. Her mouth was in an O shape, and she gave slight nods to some points. Cheese watched her the whole time, gauging her reaction.

Finally, she set the letter down and turned to him. "Sounds like he missed you a lot."

Cheese turned away and gazed at his blank page. "Yep."

"Are you writing him?"

"Yep. I figure I might as well invite him over here, see what he has to say, maybe introduce him to you… stuff like that." He scratched at his cutie mark as he said this, which Pinkamena noticed quickly.

"So… the hobo thing's not a problem?"

"Er… um…" Cheese stopped his scratching and rubbed the back of his head. "I don't know…"

"Okay, that's obviously a lie."

Cheese glared at her. "Being stuck with our parents for years would most likely make him judgmental like they are, and think that maybe big bro's not worth the time he wasted in getting here. Ugh… I dunno, maybe I oughta tell him that it'd be a waste of time seeing me, since he'd embarrassed to be related to me."

"Hey, now, don't think that way. He did say in his letter that he knows about the rock farm, and rock farms don't exactly have the best reputation. If he's still willing to see you regardless, well, he sounds like a pony I'd like to meet."

"Maybe… I guess…" Cheese sighed. "But what do I write? How should I broach the subject? What day should I suggest that he come? Heck, I don't even know his school or work schedule or if he has any free days that he could just drop on by!"

"Cheese!" Pinkamena grabbed his head and turned it toward her, and drew close enough so their noses touched. "Calm down. From what I've read, I'm sure he's nervous too. If anything, he probably thinks you're still angry with him. Right now, just focus on reassuring him and telling him that there's nothing to fear." She pulled back and smiled at him. "It'll make things easier on both your nerves."

Cheese smiled back. "Well… I suppose I am just overthinking things… I'll keep that in mind."

"All right." Pinkamena hopped off the bed. "Though I'm not so sure you have time to write—we've got to start work soon."

Cheese's smile fell into a frown. "Darn."

* * *

As he and the Pies did the same old routine with the rocks, Cheese was thinking about what he wanted to write. He couldn't remember the last time he wrote a letter, but he was sure it hadn't taken as much thought as this one. He needed to present himself as approachable, and save the sensitive stuff for when he and Tomato were face to face. He also figured that he should tell him about the Pies, so he didn't get caught off guard by their rough exteriors.

However, his focus seemed to be switching between the letter, his job, and Pinkamena. Every time he took a look at her, he'd rub his cheek where she had kissed him. He silently noted that she was growing more beautiful with each passing day, and felt warm upon remembering when he first saw her smile. However, he'd end up glancing at Igneous, and jerk his focus back to the rocks, the fear of Igneous somehow reading his thoughts setting in.

_I must be crazy,_ he thought._ Igneous has nothing to worry about, I'm just treating his daughters as if they're my sisters, nothing more._

It was usually after a thought like this that he found himself unconsciously drifting toward her, with the urge to hold her close permeating his body and the curiosity of how kissing her lips would feel popping into his head. A surge of panic would overtake him, and he'd hurriedly trot to the next rock. He'd notice Limestone and Marble looking at him with concern, while Maud would stare at him with those impassive eyes of hers, almost as if she was judging him.

He struggled to both keep his actions on the rocks and his thoughts on the letter he was going to write. Beautiful and coherent sentences were forming in his head, and he looked forward to putting them down on paper.

As he imagined writing down the part about the Pies, the most flowery of the sentences in his head were about Pinkamena, describing her as a walking miracle that was tough and gritty on the outside, but very sweet and compassionate on the inside. She was strong and steadfast, not willing to cave to the pressures of the townsfolk, and very stern, and yet she was a helpful and caring pony. Her smile could light up the darkest of caves and her voice was like a bell. Her hair appeared as a smooth waterfall of raspberry juice, her coat as pink and soft as cotton candy, her shimmering eyes matching the clear blue sky, the rocks on her flank resembling joyous balloons—

Why the hay was he thinking like that? That's not how he spoke at all!

He wanted to keep the letter sounding like him and as brief as possible. Describing how wonderful Pinkamena was might bore his poor brother to death. Besides, the point of the letter was to set up a time and place where they'd finally meet after over a decade.

Finally, lunch break had arrived, and once Cheese had scarfed down his lunch, he sped up to his room, grabbed the pencil and paper, and laid down on the hard, wooden floor to write.

It was then he realized that he had forgotten the coherent sentences that he had formed in his head. He dropped the pencil, and then slammed his head on the floor.

* * *

The sentences were not as he had imagined them before, but at least he wrote something. It was a simple, "Hello, how you doing" kind of thing, telling his brother that he was alive and well, answering "yes, come on over, let's talk", and brief descriptions of the Pie Family. He had found himself wanting to overdescribe Pinkamena again, but kept himself to a simple overview of her personality and how she looked. He hated just writing, "well, she's pink", but she stood out from the rest of her family anyway.

Reading it over three times, he deemed it good enough, and then made his way downstairs, the folded letter between his teeth. There, he found the Pies in the living room, just resting a little before they started work again.

"Hey, do any of you know where an envelope is? I have a letter to send."

They all looked at him, and after a moment, Limestone hopped out of her seat. She went to the bookshelf, and pulled a box from one of the shelves. "They're in this box."

Cheese smiled and approached the bookshelf. "Thanks, Limestone." He took an envelope and slid the paper in. "Okay, now to get the address on this thing and I'm good to go."

He rushed back upstairs, with the Pies staring at him as he did so.

After a moment, Cloudy said, "You know, he's been acting kind of squirrelly lately."

"Yeah…" Igneous mumbled. "What do you suppose is going on with him?"

"Must be the pony he's sending that letter to," Marble replied.

_Well, duh,_ Pinkamena thought. _He's going to speak with his brother after so many years._ It was getting harder and harder not to smile at the possibility of Cheese making peace with his family. She was a little unsure about his parents, given that Cheese was apparently not too fond of them, but his little brother was a good start.

Cheese came back down, and trotted to the front door. "I am off to the post office, folks! I'll be back soon!" He was out within five seconds of saying that.

Igneous shook his head. "He didn't have to announce something so obvious."

* * *

Once he reached Nickerlite, he paused to catch his breath and sat in the dirt. He pushed himself a little too hard on the gallop to town, so a moment of rest was welcomed. He was so winded he didn't notice a certain blue unicorn donning saddlebags approach him.

"Hello, Cheese, what brings you to town?"

Cheese looked up, still panting. "I… decided… to reply to… the letter."

Bluejinx blinked, and then smirked. "Well, good. I was afraid that you had torn it up." He frowned again. "So I take it that you're telling him that you're not comfortable with letting him into your life again?"

"Actually, no. I'm letting him come over and talk things out."

Bluejinx smiled again. "Really?"

Cheese got back onto his hooves and started walking. "Really."

Bluejinx walked beside him. "Ah, yes, I see… okay, mind telling me about your change of heart?"

"Er…" Cheese looked away. His talk with Pinkamena did push him to do it, but if he said that, Bluejinx might get the wrong idea about their relationship. "Um… I, uh… I watched the Pie Sisters in action."

"Really?"

"Yeah. The girls are close, and once you get to know them, they're actually quite warmer than their stony exteriors indicate. Seeing Maud and Pinkamena confide in each other, Limestone and Marble bicker in a silly way before making up, or all four of them just having each other's' backs, it was just amazing. I guess… I realized that I missed having that bond with Tomato."

Bluejinx nodded. "He always did admire you. I'm sure he'll be more than happy to hear from you."

"I sure hope so. And I hope he likes the Pies; they have been my family the past couple months."

"The way you talk about them, you've grown attached to them."

"I don't deny that." Cheese sighed. "I'm actually dreading the day I have to leave."

"Uh, why do you have to leave?"

"Look at my cutie mark for that answer. I'm supposed to travel, leaving my hoofprints all over Equestria, going from town to town. I could hardly call it a destiny marking a permanent career and settling down somewhere."

"Unless you were a traveling salespony."

"Psht, what would I sell? Rocks?"

"Uh…"

"Never mind that. I've got to get to the post office and then head back to the rock farm, and you've got to… do whatever you're supposed to be doing."

"Oh!" Bluejinx reached into his saddlebag and pulled out a several papers. "Aunt Purple's making me set up fliers for the carnival in two weeks. It sounds like an awful lot of fun for a small town such as Nickerlite, seeing as there's not much to do other than work, talk, or hang out in the saloon."

"Avoiding the saloon, thank you very much." Cheese quirked an eyebrow at the sound of a carnival. "Say… mind giving me a couple of those?"

"Uh, sure?" Bluejinx stared as Cheese took two of the fliers and asked, "Um, why?"

"You got a pencil?"

Bluejinx used his magic to pull a pencil out of his saddlebag and gave it to Cheese. "You still didn't answer my question."

Cheese set down his letter, leaned against the closest building, and wrote on the back of one of the fliers. Once he was done, he sat back down and folded the flier. Then he opened the envelope, slid the flier into it, and then closed it again. "There. Hope he doesn't mind going to a small town carnival."

Bluejinx's jaw dropped. "For real? You're going to invite him?"

Cheese spat the pencil back into Bluejinx's saddlebag. "Well, why not? Of course, I'll have to check with Igneous, but I'm sure he'll understand. I'm just hoping Tommy's schedule will allow it."

"Well, then… good luck. Let's hope everything goes smoothly."

Cheese nodded and picked up both the envelope and remaining flier, and Bluejinx turned around to continue his task. Taking a deep breath, Cheese marched through town, ready to mail his letter.

* * *

Cortland swore that he could feel other ponies' eyes on him. Whether it was looks of scorn branding him a liar or looks of pity for his failed romance, he just knew that they weren't welcome. He wanted neither their scorn nor their pity; he just wanted things to go back to normal.

Of course, things won't be normal until the drifter who ruined his life was out of town. Unfortunately, he had no surefire way to expel him. He was in over his head when he promised himself that he'd get rid of Cheese, and the options he had would get him into deep trouble. How would he be able to convince Igneous to fire him? Get an angry mob that hated Cheese on his side?

He made it to the post office to find Cheese strolling out, whistling a tune. Cortland paused, and watched the lanky stallion turn away and trot down the street, still whistling merrily. After a moment, Cortland glared at the chipper pony.

"What's he so happy 'bout?"

He sighed and looked at the letter to Granny Smith. He was here to send his pa's letter to her, not glare at that hobo. However, before he could go inside, the mailpony walked out, making Cortland stagger back. The mailpony looked up, and then spread his wings to take off.

"Whoa there, pardner!" Cortland exclaimed. He stuck the letter in the mailbag. "Be sure ta stop by Ponyville and give mah letter to Granny Smith."

The mailpony chuckled. "Will do, mister!" The very next moment, the pegasus took off, flying to places to deliver letters to. Unfortunately, some of the letters wouldn't reach their destinations, as some of them had flown out of the bag when he took off and were now laying in the street.

Cortland groaned. "Doggone mailpony should be more careful!" He walked around, picking up the letters from the dust. He checked the names and address on each one, making sure that the one to Granny Smith hadn't been dropped.

However, when he checked the final letter he picked up, to his surprise, it was addressed to Tomato Sandwich. And even more to his surprise, it wasn't from Bluejinx; it was from Cheese.

Glancing around to see if anypony was watching, he slid the envelope under his hat, a smirk crawling onto his face. Looking at the other letters, he trotted into the post office, muttering, "At least Granny Smith gets her letter; shame Tomato Sandwich won't get his."


	28. One Way or Another

Igneous stared at the sheepish grin that Cheese held. He could not believe what he had heard Cheese suggest. Shaking his head slowly, he snorted. "You're out of your mind. The answer's _no_."

"Aw, come on!" Cheese waved the flier in Igneous' face. "What's wrong with a carnival? I've been to plenty, and I've had a good time... though, I was usually short on money..."

Igneous shook his head and walked to the boulder he had been chipping at. "You must have forgotten how Pinkamena had been harassed, humiliated, and kissed without her consent. I'm not going to leave her vulnerable to that again."

Cheese sighed. "I haven't forgotten, Igneous."

"Well, why did you bring that carnival up?"

Cheese folded the flier and stuffed in into the pocket inside his poncho. "I... I just thought it'd be a neat bonding activity."

"We can bond just fine here on the farm."

"Yeah, but... aren't you at the least bit curious to see what a carnival's like?"

"Been to one years ago; it didn't end well." Igneous picked up his pickaxe and started chiseling the boulder once again.

"What happened? Did the dunk tank explode?"

Igneous paused and gave him a funny look. "Huh?"

"That happened at a carnival I went to. It's a long story."

"Hmph." He turned toward the rock again. "No, nothing like that. My sister got humiliated by this stallion she had a crush on and took the train to who knows where. I haven't seen her since."

"Humiliated?"

"Badly."

"How?"

"You don't wanna know."

"Oh... okay." Cheese scuffed the dirt with his hooves. "How long ago was this?"

"It was while I was still courting Cloudy."

"Oh... wow, that's longer than I've gone without seeing my brother."

"Huh." Igneous chipped at the rock, hardly even registering what Cheese had said. He rolled his eyes at the absurdity of Cheese's request for the family to attend the carnival. Why would he surround himself with the ponies who misunderstood him enough to accuse him of abuse? Why would he put Pinkamena in a position to be scrutinized unfairly? Why would he attend an event similar to the one where he had last seen his sister, broken and upset from that awful prank? What was Cheese thinking?

"So, uh, do you miss your sister?"

"Of course. I'm still waiting for the day she decides it's safe to return. I can't send her a letter telling her that the scumbag moved out years ago if I don't know where she is."

"Well... if I ever meet her, I'll let you know where she is. So, what's her name?"

"Sedimentary Rock."

"I'll keep that in mind." Cheese bit his lip and his eyes widened slightly, as if he remembered something. "Say, um, what if she's--"

"Dead?"

"Uh, no, what if she's unwilling to contact you for some reason? Like, she's afraid her letter would get intercepted, or that maybe she's angry with you, or maybe she's ashamed--"

"She has no need to be ashamed, I'll be happy to welcome her back, although I'll hate telling her what happened to Ma." Igneous groaned. "Can't do anything about her being angry. That's up to her. Still, I have a hard time trusting carnivals thanks to that incident--and I'm trusting this one even less with those gossiping hens about and that stallion that harassed my daughter still in town."

"Okay, sir... okay. I guess taking Tommy to the carnival is not an option when he arrives." Cheese turned around. "Well, I suppose I'll just be working on the rocks like I should."

_Who in the hay is Tommy?_ Igneous wondered. "Wait... who's coming?"

Cheese stopped and turned his head. "My brother, Tomato. I'm going to mend fences with him."

"You never mentioned a brother."

"Nopony asked until Pinkamena decided to pry."

"Good point." Igneous turned to face Cheese once again. "Let me get this straight; you invited your brother to come here so that the two of you could fix any problems that had come up between the two of you in the past."

Cheese nodded.

"And you decided to just take him to the upcoming carnival without consulting me first?"

"Hey, I could just drag him away from it and go straight from the train station to the farm, and we could all just bond with him the same way I've bonded with your daughters." Cheese's pupils shrank to pinpricks and he covered his mouth.

Igneous glared at him. "Bonded with them as a brother, correct?"

Cheese nodded and uncovered his mouth. "Nothing more, honest."

Igneous had an itching doubt of that, and it was worrying him. Though he didn't show it, he had grown a little fond of the stallion who had been a warm ball of sunshine who got his daughters smiling again at the otherwise dreary rock farm. On the other hoof, he loved his daughters very much, and there was still that chance that Cheese's kindness was all just a ruse, just to get close to them and take advantage of them. Igneous had no idea what to think of this brother that was coming, and whether or not they shared the same goal.

He grunted. "I'll be keeping an eye on this brother of yours. Now get back to work."

Cheese let out a breath of relief. "I expected nothing less."

* * *

Cortland slipped into the saloon, making sure that nopony outside was watching. He looked around the room, glancing across the bar where several stallions sat, and the bunch of tables where more ponies sat. A stage was at the other end of the room, where a stallion played a simple tune on the piano.

He found Riffraff and his gang playing cards at the far table, and weaved his way around the tables toward them. When he made it to the table, the bunch of stallions looked up, and groaned.

"Whaddya want now, Cowboy?" Riffraff snarled.

Cortland raised an eyebrow. "You ain't happy to see me?"

Another of the stallions piped up, "I thought we already paid your debt."

"Ya did. Ah'd just like to hear about some escapades that you ponies got into that gotcha all washed up and stuck in this here town. Like, did you murder someone? Rob a bank? Forge some kind of letter?"

The paint-coated pony of the group raised a hoof. "I've done that last one. Used it to get one of my enemies thrown in the slammer."

Cortland turned to him. "Really now?"

"Yeah... I've always been good at copying another pony's mouthwriting. Let me tell ya, when I sent that death threat to that jumpy mayor, the feller was doomed. Hmph, served him right for stealing my girlfriend." The paint gave Cortland a funny look. "You need me to send a death threat under somepony else's name?"

"Ah, no. I just want somepony to get the wrong idea about their employee and his brother. Say, now, what's yer name?"

"Scribbles." The name was met with snickers, and Scribbles shot his comrades a sharp glare. He turned to Cortland again, and asked, "Just what are you on about?"

* * *

At Cortland's treehouse, Scribbles looked over the bunch of letters written by Tomato Sandwich, and the one written by Cheese Sandwich. He studied the writing of both, and the language used in both letters, while Cortland paced behind him. He looked over every inch of every letter, and paid special attention to Cheese's letter. He read aloud:

"_'Dear Tommy,_

_'Yep, I've finally been found, and I'm alive and well! I'm sure you've already thanked Bluejinx for that. He just couldn't resist telling you where I was. So, I've been wondering how you are, what you've been doing these days, and I'm very curious about this sudden water-downed version of you. What happened to the energetic colt? Did Mom break you?_

_'Since I didn't tear the letter up, here's your answer. I had thought over your request for a bit, and when I look at my employer's daughters, who have an amazing sisterly bond, I realized I wanted that kind of bond with you again. So, go ahead, come on over to Nickerlite, and we'll sort things out._

_'Thought I'd give you a briefing for the Pies just so you know what you're in for. My employer, Igneous Rock, is a very gruff stallion, but as long as you don't try to woo his daughters, he'll be agreeable. His wife, Cloudy Quartz, is one of the toughest mares you'd ever meet, but she's reasonable as well. Their oldest daughter, Maud, is not very expressive, but she loves her family. Their second oldest, Pinkamena, is a tough girl, but is also very sweet. The way she smiles just warms my heart, and her eyes are just beautiful. And then we have Limestone. She's a bit sarcastic, especially when it comes to her younger sister, but she's a good mare. And lastly, we have Marble. Don't let some dainty mannerisms of hers fool you; she can easily crush a rock beneath her hoof. Heck, they're all super strong!_

_'Also, they're grey. Except Igneous is brown. And Pinkamena--well, she's pink._

_'Be sure to come whenever you can. The sooner we can do this, the better._

_~Your big brother, Cheese Sandwich.'"_

Scribbles set down the letter, and then picked up the carnival flier. He read the P.S. note inviting him to the carnival and clucked. "Seems like you stopped a family reunion. Why?"

Cortland stopped his pacing. "Well, imagine him gettin' a letter from his brother that he didn't expect at all. Imagine Igneous readin' it, and it's evidence that neither Sandwich is any good, so he goes and fires Cheese. Only thing... Ah dunno just what'll work."

Scribbles nodded. "Well, if they present a threat to his daughters, that'll set Igneous Rock off."

"Oh... yeah. Ah got a death threat fer kissin' one of 'em."

"Hm. Well, I'll see what I can come up with and write the letter... of course, you better pay me."

Cortland groaned. "Fine."

* * *

Cheese met the girls in the field, receiving warm greetings from Pinkamena, who was pulling the cart this time, and Marble and Limestone, and a nod of acknowledgement from Maud and Cloudy, who were sorting the rocks. After being pointed to the rocks that were to be moved, he accepted without complaint.

Still, he was bummed out over the carnival thing. He hoped his brother would understand that Igneous was just not all too fond of them, not to mention he was still wary of the townsfolk after what happened with Pinkamena. After all, with their loose tongues, they were sure to bring it up and give a wild take on it as usual. And if Cortland was there, Pinkamena would be less than comfortable.

He hoisted a large rock into the cart, and huffed. If there was some way to get the town to see just what gems the Pies were, Cheese would take it in a heartbeat. Sure, the candy shop owners were on their side, as well as Bluejinx, and most of the Apple family, but those other ponies in Nickerlite were in their silly little dreamlands about them being heartless, stone-faced abusers, and that Pinkamena, being the one who stood out, needed saving.

And of course, Nickerlite's very own "knight in shining armor", Cortland Apple. Cheese could feel his mane bristle at the mere thought of him. Under that polished armor was nothing more than a dragon trying to hoard a treasure that wasn't even his. Despite Marble saying that Cortland had come clean, Cheese could not shake off any of his anger at him. The ways the Pies were acting, it was almost as if they were afraid of him.

_Thunk!_

Pinkamena jumped and turned to him. "Hey, are you okay? You threw that rock in pretty hard."

Cheese snapped out of his reverie. "Oh? Uh... I just... uh..."

Limestone nudged him. "Okay, what's eating you?"

Marble peeked from the other side of the cart. "You don't usually throw big rocks into the cart like that."

Cheese rubbed the back of his head. "I'm sorry. I was just thinking of a certain somepony."

Pinkamena sighed. "Cheese, don't let what Tomato did get you down. Come on, I thought you were moving past that."

Marble tilted her head. "Tomato? Who's Tomato? I thought he was talking about Cortland."

"I was," Cheese snarled.

Pinkamena scowled. "Of course. That's why your mane was a-bristling. Ugh, why were you even thinking of him?"

Cheese took a deep breath and exhaled through his nose. "I'm just bummed out that we can't attend the upcoming carnival because of gossiping hens and Cortland being a reminder of _that_ incident."

"Should've hit him harder," Pinkamena grumbled.

Limestone huffed. "I didn't know there was carnival coming."

"Well, there is." Cheese took the flier from his pocket and unfolded it. The three mares gathered around him as he pointed to the words promising "food, games, friends, and all sorts of fun". He told them about his talk with Igneous and how he had been planning to reunite with his brother and take him to the carnival. And then he got to the part where Igneous refused.

Marble nodded. "Yeah, even before our Grandmas died he didn't go. None of us went because we didn't want to leave him home alone."

Limestone shook her head. "I think you might have bummed him out even more when you said you were taking your brother, since his sister left town after that. And of course, we can't forget the whole Cortland fiasco."

Pinkamena growled. "Well, I for one refuse to be afraid of those idiots! Just because Cortland kissed me once doesn't mean I'll let him do it again! Ugh, I'm tired all the stupid gossip and whispers that have been going on all this time. If they have anything to say about the Pie Family, they can say it straight to my face. I can handle it; if anything, they're afraid of us."

"Well, don't give them a reason to be afraid," Cheese said.

"With us being super strong and working with rocks, they already have a reason. Still, I'd like to show those folk that we're not some hard-hearted hillbillies that'll crush any visitor's head like they were an egg. You know we're not, Lemon and Sugar know we're not, Bluejinx knows we're not, and Haralson knows we're not. Heck, if I remember correctly, we did help out with parasprites years ago!"

"Pinkamena, are you okay?" Limestone asked.

"And you know what? I'm not going to let their silly rumors and the presence of Cortland deny us a chance to entertain our special guest in a different way than usual!"

Marble shifted uncomfortably. "Pinkamena... what are you saying?"

Pinkamena narrowed her eyes. "I'm saying that we're going to that carnival, one way or another."


	29. Funny Business

The two weeks seemed to go by very slowly, and the work seemed much more grueling this time around, despite it being the same old routine. Moving rocks, smashing rocks, smelling rocks, sorting rocks, and casually remaining indifferent to any mention of the carnival. Cheese settled back into the routine of telling his stories to Marble, Limestone, and Pinkamena, and he was happy that they now laughed at some of the parts that he found funny. He was glad to see that half of the Pie family smiled, especially after so many years after their grandmothers' deaths.

Of course, he was also dying of anticipation at the arrival of his brother, though there was still the possibility that something would come up that Tomato had to delay it. So, every chance he got, Cheese would rush to the post office to see if he got a reply. So far, each of his visits had turned up nothing, and he'd walk back to the rock farm in disappointment.

However, upon each of his returns, he would be greeted by the Pies. Being greeted by Pinkamena especially lifted his spirits, as her bright eyes and infectious smile would ignite a gentle warmth that made him feel like he was flying. With each passing day, it seemed like everything she did had that effect on him. He could watch her lifting rocks with ease for hours; stand awestruck at the fierce determination she held when shattering a boulder; the way she guzzled water suddenly seemed like the cutest thing in the world to him; and finally, her blue eyes sparkling with fascination as she listened to one of his tales. The rocks he lifted felt light as he thought of her, and he often felt like pulling her close and cuddling her like a teddy bear.

That he refrained from, since it would be a breach of her personal space, not to mention he didn't want Igneous to get the wrong idea. The more he wondered whether or not he was falling in love with her, the more he worried. He liked the warm feeling that she gave him, but he was certain the moment Igneous suspected him of breaking his promise, his employment was terminated and he was on the road again.

His hooves were getting a little itchy, and he was dreading the day he'd have to leave more and more. It wasn't just Pinkamena he was reluctant to leave; he was fond of the entire Pie family, being the stern and tough ponies they were. There was Marble and Limestone, those two having been the first to indulge their curiosity of him. He would surely miss Limestone's sass, Marble's more demure nature, and the wide eyes that had been a staple of both of them since he arrived.

He'd miss Cloudy, for being dry and tough-as-nails, yet fairly approachable. He'd miss Igneous, who despite his grumpy exterior was a stallion who loved and wanted to protect his family. He'd even miss Maud, even though they hadn't exactly been friends; more like simple acquaintances. Under that impassive face was a quiet strength ready to protect her sisters, something that he could understand, having had that exact same thing in youth.

Not that Tommy had needed protection; he was well-liked by the other foals. A little too well-liked. Cheese could remember those feelings of jealousy over his brother's popularity, and he inwardly groaned thinking of the comparisons between them that everypony they knew did, including their mother. Just why their mother thought that comparing them would spur Cheese to better grades was a mystery to him.

In a moment of reflection one night in his room, he realized that once he reconciled with his brother, he'd have to attempt to reconcile with their parents. From his letter, Tomato seemed more willing to accept what Cheese's special talent up as; his mother, on the other hand, would not be shy about letting him know that he was a failure, and his father hardly seemed to care.

He huffed and turned over in bed. Thinking of that moment when Pinkamena saw the rainbow and smiled, he could hardly call himself a failure. Helping the Pies learn to smile again was leaving him with a sense of accomplishment, and there was no doubt that he loved them all. He couldn't wait for Tomato to meet them.

Now, if only that darn colt would reply more quickly.

* * *

At the saloon, Riffraff and gang waited for their acquaintance to arrive.

Taking several licks of his salt lick, Riffraff glanced once again at the prepared letter. Shaking his head, he asked, "You sure it's bad enough? You could make it sleazier and keep painting the vegetable as a little pile of manure."

Scribbles glared at him. "First off, tomatoes are fruit. Second, overdoing it would get Cheese suspicious. After all, we want both him and Igneous fooled into believing that Tomato really did reply, although with a dirtier mind than expected."

"Does it matter? They haven't even seen each other for years!"

"And I want to keep the letter consistent with what I've read of Tomato's letters to Bluejinx."

Another one of them interjected. "Well, what if Pinhead gets a hold of the letter?"

"Psht, with the emotional turmoil that we hope to accomplish, they wouldn't even think of handing the letter off to him and asking, 'Read this, does it sound like Tomato?' They'd most likely tear it up before even thinking of that."

That's when Cortland walked in, casually indifferent to the stares that had come his way. He weaved through the tables until he got to the one where the gang sat. He sat down, and looked straight at Scribbles. "Is it ready now?"

Scribbles slid the letter over to him. "I hope this'll suffice. I've spent quite a few days crafting it."

Cortland took it, and read it. As he read, he recoiled, scratched his head, and then put his hoof on his chin, nodding. A small smile crept onto his face. He looked up at the other ponies.

"My, my, what a terrible letter. It oughta give them Pies a shock."

* * *

Pinkamena woke up earlier than usual, already feeling refreshed from the night before. She looked around the dim room, seeing her sisters still sleeping peacefully. She smiled at the sight of them, remembering the mornings where she'd wake up before them, and then hop from bed to bed to wake them up. The memory of the "rock town" came to her, as she pictured her and her sisters playing with little pebbles with smiley-faces drawn on them, imitating whatever they saw in trips to town. With a quiet giggle, she slid out of bed and walked to the mirror.

Her reflection boasted a tangled bedhead, which Pinkamena didn't hesitate to tame with the hairbrush. As she straightened her hair with each stroke, she couldn't help but feel that something wasn't right. She couldn't help but wonder what it was, since she had just woken up, and she wasn't feeling sick at all. The feeling was just there as she brushed her mane.

It hit her with the final stroke of the brush: she wasn't all that fond of her straight hair. She smoothed it down with her hoof, pouting at her reflection and the raspberry waterfall she called a mane. Tilting her head, she wondered why her straight hair was suddenly bothering her.

_It's not that it isn't pretty, it just... doesn't feel right._ She fanned it out and smoothed it down again, and then repeated the action. She took a part of her forelock, and twirled it around in her hoof. She pulled it out, and watched as the resulting ringlet slid back into it's straight form.

She remembered her Granny Pie having lovely blonde curls, making her mane and tail so soft that Pinkamena could fall asleep on the hair. Looking in the mirror again, she wondered how her mane would look like when curled.

"Well, why not?" she whispered. "It'd be a fitting tribute to her." She put her hoof to her chin. "Now where did the rags and curlers go?"

Not wanting to wake anypony up, she slipped out of the room and tiptoed down the hallway. She passed Cheese's room, and was tempted to kick the door open and jump on him to wake him up. She shook her head, reminding herself that she didn't want to wake anypony up, and that waking Cheese up like that was rude and would certainly annoy the stallion. Although, she had to admit, it'd be kind of cute to see him annoyed.

The more she thought about him, the happier she was that he had come. What she once considered a nuisance had now become a blessing that she couldn't imagine life without. She could listen to his voice for hours, she could stare at his smile for hours, and she would continue to be proud of how his strength had grown from when he first started working. Where before he could only pick up small rocks one at a time, he was now hoisting significantly larger rocks with little effort.

She felt light on her feet as she descended the stairs, thinking about how sweet and kind that he had been from day one. Willing to entertain her sisters, willing to listen to her troubles, respecting her parents, and not willing to let rumors in Nickerlite sway him. She wanted hug him again, and listen to his heartbeat as she lay her head against his chest. She wanted to nuzzle him, and let him know that she cared. And she wanted to kiss him, so every care would just evaporate and she'd be left with him, the one stallion outside her family that she'd move mountains for.

Those thoughts were bringing her a gentle warmth, and she started to hum blissfully. However, as she did so, one of her front legs stepped forward a little too far, and as a result she loudly stumbled down the rest of the way. Once she reached the bottom, she froze, and looked up the stairs. Her ears twitched, listening for the sound of someone getting up.

She relaxed after a few moments, and walked through the living room until she reached the cellar door. She took a lantern from the bookshelf, lit it, and then opened the cellar door. She descended down the stairs, and made her way to the old trunk by the bookshelf. She set down her lantern to look for the key to the trunk. After she rummaged through the books on the shelf, she managed to find the key, and proceeded to open the trunk.

A wistful sigh escaped her mouth. Inside the trunk, there was her mother's wedding dress, being a simple white dress with blue trimmings and buttons. Digging past that, she found a couple of old puppets that Nana Pinkie had used to entertain her grandchildren, some worn out tools from the past, a photo of a younger version of her father with his sister, a photo of her mother with her siblings, and some old jewelry before she finally found the bag of rags and curlers and dug it out of the trunk.

She opened the bag and stared at them for a moment before taking the biggest curler and wrapped a thick part of her forelock on it. She rolled it tightly until the curler was on her forehead, looking like a spool of raspberry-colored thread. She snapped it in place, and tapped it to make sure it stayed.

"Pinkamena? What are you doing?"

She whirled around to see her mother on the stairs, looking at her curiously. Pinkamena bit her lip, and then grinned sheepishly. "I, uh... wanted to try a new hairstyle, Ma."

"Really?" Cloudy walked down the rest of the stairs and approached her. "Why?"

"Um... I just woke up this morning, looked in the mirror, and decided that I was tired of straight hair. Thought I'd try to curl it as a tribute to Granny Pie, you know?"

Cloudy Quartz just stared at her daughter, with a face that indicated more confusion than disapproval. Pinkamena sighed. "I know, it's not practical, I'd be all spruced up with no place to go, it'll get ruined anyway, yeah, Ma, there's really no good reason for me to curl my hair, but I--"

"Pinkamena," Cloudy interrupted gently. She approached her and put a hoof on her shoulder. She gave her a small smile. "It's fine if you want to remember Granny Pie. There's nothing wrong with your idea of a tribute--heck, I was looking at Cheese's mane the other day and wondering if I remembered how to curl hair. Darn that colt... what's he doing to us...?"

Pinkamena giggled. "So you don't mind?"

Cloudy picked up the bag. "Just as long as you're not planning to show off or anything. I suppose a little practice in case one of my sisters visit would do me a little good."

"I suppose so... say, Ma?"

"Hm?"

"Did you just smile?"

Cloudy felt her mouth. "I... I think I did." She tilted her head toward the staircase. "Let's get to it before the others wake up and we have to prepare breakfast."

* * *

Cheese could not stop staring at the net that covered Pinkamena's mane and tail. He could clearly see that she was curling it, as he could see the curlers, but couldn't put his hoof on why. He thought of asking her, but couldn't think of a way that didn't seem too forward and rude. He knew that Igneous asked Cloudy what was up with the hair, but whatever the answer was, the older stallion didn't say.

He ran his hoof through his own curls and looked away to get back to sorting rocks. With the carnival being that night, her hair-curling was rather suspicious--and very unlike Pinkamena. Why would she want to show off to the town like that? If anything, the only statement she wanted to make by going to the carnival was that she didn't give a flying feather about the rumors and the presence of Cortland.

Granted, she was also disobeying her father. And so were Marble and Limestone. And so was he.

He was nervous about sneaking out. While he had gotten away with sneaking out on the day he left home, he wasn't sure he could do it as a stallion, and with three other ponies. Not to mention that if they got caught, there would be an implication of them heading out for a certain activity that Igneous would _never_ approve of. The mere thought of these things going horribly wrong was forming an awful pit in his stomach.

And then there was Maud. Not bringing her along was Pinkamena's only regret, but Maud had a tendency to go to bed early, and Pinkamena respected that. Cheese figured that Maud wasn't all that interested in the carnival anyway. Still, should she wake up and discover that her sisters were not in the room with her...

He had smelled a ripe rock, but accidentally put it in the unripe pile. Cursing himself for letting his mind wander, he located the rock and set it with the ore pile. He took a deep breath, and started sniffing and sorting the rocks once again. He figured that he should think of the progress he had made since getting this job. After all, he could now smell the differences between the rocks, he could lift large rocks easily, he got his employer's family to like him--and he was going to meet with his brother soon. Hopefully.

The lack of a reply was worrying him. It had been two weeks since he had sent the letter, and usually pegasus mail was speedy. He hoped that the mailpony hadn't dropped it someplace, where it would never be found. What if Cheese had written the wrong address? What if that first letter had been a fake and Tomato really did forget about him? What if it had been eaten by a stray dog? He gritted his teeth, frustrated that he had gone from one worry to another.

"Mail call!"

The sound of Limestone's voice rang out over the field, and he was dashing for her in an instant. He stopped short of her with an eager grin on his face.

"Any for me?"

Limestone blinked, and answered, "Actually, yeah. Looks like your brother replied." She gave him an envelope.

Cheese jumped for joy and kissed the letter. "Finally! He answers!"

The others turned to him and watched him dance his jig. Igneous shouted, "Read it later, we have work to do!"

Cheese nodded, and sped into the house to leave the letter in his room.

* * *

After the work was done and supper had been eaten, Cheese bounded into his room and laid on his belly on his bed to read the letter. He started out reading with a grin; but he was soon frowning.

Cheese gazed at the letter in shock and disappointment. If Tomato were certainly unable to come due to a busy schedule, Cheese would understand. After all, he figured that his little brother was in college, and there was no doubt that there was some difficult homework and things he had to do. If he had to study for some big test, that was understandable.

But this? What kind of crud was he reading?

He reread the letter, trying to understand just what was being said in the letter.

"_Dear Cheese,_

_My, my, what a lovely family you are boarding with. I would certainly love to meet them; however, I am unable to come due to some things I have to do. I'm terribly sorry about that._

_I'd especially love to meet the daughters of the family; please do tell me more. Are you close with any of them? The way you wrote about Pinkamena in that short sentence sounds like you have taken a fancy to her. I sure hope that you're not taking Igneous' warnings as a challenge, hm? Because any other stallion in your place would try to be sneaky and get away with having some fun with the mares, if you catch my drift. Of course, you always have been able to slip away with nopony noticing until it's too late, so I wouldn't be surprised, but I'm honored that you wanted to include me in this! _

_Are they all the same shade of gray, or should I expect different shades? What shade of pink is Pinkamena? What shade of brown is Igneous? Or do I have to wait until I have a timeslot to visit? Either way, I sure hope you stay at the rock farm long enough for me to have a chance to visit with you... and the ladies, of course. I've had my share of fun with Manehattan girls, can't wait to see what rock farmer girls are like. _

_And since you've traveled a lot, I cannot wait to hear stories about your exploits and adventures with all sorts of ponies. I just hope I'm not an uncle yet; that'd be kind of unsavory, don't you think?_

_Anyway, I await your reply._

_Your brother, Tomato Sandwich"_

Cheese snorted. "Is this some kind of joke? I tell him about the girls and just shows off a dirty mind? Come on..." He took the other letter from the nightstand, and glanced between them. The mouthwriting was the same, no doubt about it. He looked at the first letter's line of "I'm not quite the same colt you knew" and sighed. That much was definitely true. 

"If there's anything that didn't change, it's that you have a problem thinking things through when talking to me," he grumbled. "If Igneous saw this..."

Still, he couldn't help but feel saddened. What was Tomato thinking? Did he not realize how rude it was to jump into that subject before even meeting the Pies? Was he somehow hanging out with some gross ponies behind Mom's back in some secret rebellion? Was he thinking that Cheese's drifter lifestyle meant he got around? So many questions that made him more and more uncomfortable by the minute. Now, Cheese just wondered if he could have been a good influence on Tommy had he stayed.

He heard a knock at the door, and he quickly shunted one letter under the bed and the other on the nightstand. "Come in."

The door was thrown open, and Limestone and Marble filed in with grins on their faces. They both gave him winks and tilts of the head to signal that their parents and Maud had gone to bed. He smiled nervously at him, nodding at their unspoken signal. He hopped off his bed, and briefly glanced at the space under it before asking, "So, uh, where's Pinkamena?"

"Getting the curlers out," Marble answered.

"Well, great, we wouldn't want our night out spoiled by her hair net, ehehehe..."

Limestone raised an eyebrow. "Are you okay?"

Cheese rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I... I am kinda nervous about sneaking out. I mean, so many things could go wrong..."

Limestone chuckled. "No worries. Ma, Pa, and Maud all sleep like rocks. We'll be out and back without them realizing it."

"I don't know," Marble said. "There are so many things that could go wrong..."

"Well, if you have a problem, take it up with Pinkamena--this was her idea. Say, Cheese, when is that brother of yours coming? I'm dying to meet him."

Cheese stared for a moment and bit his lip. He glanced under the bed again, and answered, "Well... he's unable to come because he's busy. Sorry, he won't be able to join us."

Both girls sagged. "Aww..."

Just then, Pinkamena came into the room, her mane and tail now net-free. With a big smile and shimmering eyes, she asked, "So, how do I look?"

Cheese's jaw dropped at the sight of her raspberry locks in curls. Her mane and tail were now fluffy and bouncy, and reminded him of cotton candy. He couldn't help but notice that she had a large forelock curl not unlike his own. Her entire body was bright, and there was just so much positive energy radiating from her, he couldn't help but crack a smile. The only thing that marred her appearance was the trio of rocks that made up her cutie mark, but there wasn't any way she could change that.

Marble covered her mouth with both hooves. "Oh, my goodness... you're so cute!"

"Your hair reminds me of Granny Pie's," Limestone said.

Pinkamena rolled her eyes, patted her hair, and giggled. "That was the intention... though it's only going to be like this for a few days." She looked at Cheese. "And your opinion is?"

Cheese still stared at her, and mumbled, "Cotton candy."

"Um... what?"

"Uh, it's like cotton candy. Sweet, fluffy, that kind of thing."

Pinkamena put a hoof to her mouth. "I've never tried that stuff..."

"Really? Well, I'm sure the carnival has some. Can't have a carnival without cotton candy."

"Is that so?" Pinkamena's smile turned into a wicked grin. "Well, then, let's climb out the window and head on over."

"Um, wait, what?"

"Pinkamena... we're on the second floor," Limestone deadpanned.

Pinkamena opened the window. "Oh, I maaay have moved a few rocks over here when nopony was looking to make our descent easier..." She stepped out, and stood there, seeming like she was standing on air. She giggled once again, and then smirked at the other three. "Yep, it's steady, let's go."

Limestone and Marble followed her, and Cheese took one last glance under his bed before climbing out the window and onto the boulder that had been placed there. As he climbed down, he thought, _I'll take care of it tomorrow._


	30. Night of Our Lives

It was a good thing the moon was full; otherwise Cheese would have tripped and fell on the rocks littering the path. Well, more than he already had, including his most recent stumble, which left him dazedly looking up at his three mare companions. He was quickly helped up by Marble, and he rubbed his throbbing chin before brushing dust off his poncho.

Despite his rapid progress in the last couple of months, he couldn't hold a candle the Pie Sisters, who were effortlessly weaving through the rock field. It was a simple fact; after all, they had lived on that farm their entire lives. And from the excitement he could easily read in their faces under the moonlight, this carnival was going to shake their status quo.

As he continued to walk with them, he wondered if any of them had gotten into bouts of naughtiness as foals. Did any of them try and fail to run away for a superficial reason? Did they perform self-haircuts? Did they throw rocks at each other in a sibling spat? He winced upon thinking of the last one, and hoped that didn't ever happen.

His mind wandered to his own foalhood mischief, which while rare due to him being a mild-tempered colt, was often hilarious to him and his brother--not so much their mother. He recalled the time he had filled every sink and the tub in the house with shaving cream, just because it wasn't winter and he wanted to play in the snow. He and Tomato built "snowponies" in every one of them, and then they had a "snowball fight". They were both grounded for a week.

Memories of his little brother gave way to one thing that bothered him: the recent letter.

Tomato's first thoughts on the matter of Cheese's employment at the rock farm had to be about what Cheese had done with the Pie Sisters. He shook his head at the apparent dirtiness of his brother's thoughts. Of all the things to ask, why did it have to go in that direction? Everything that Cheese had done with them was completely innocent, such as working on the farm, telling stories, the picnic, trips to town with them, those moments where he and Pinkamena comforted each other, and now with the carnival.

Okay, he wouldn't exactly call it innocent--they were disobeying Igneous. That was another thing that worried him. There was this nagging feeling that Maud would wake up and find that her sisters were gone, and then check his room to find that nopony was there either. He was sure she would tell Igneous when it came to that. And if Cheese was extra unlucky, they'd find the letter, and it would give them enough leverage to terminate his employment.

He shook his head again. No, he had chucked the letter under his bed, and Maud wouldn't care enough to even read it should she find it. When morning came, he was going to write a letter calling Tomato out on his assumptions, and after mailing it, he was going to burn that dirty letter from him. If anything, he didn't want Igneous to get the wrong idea.

He ran a hoof through his mane. Maybe he was just overreacting.

He looked up at the three mares walking in front of him, and the smooth and steady pace told him that they had passed the rock field, and were about halfway to town. He paid special attention to Pinkamena, her curls bouncing with each spring in her step, and the pinkness of her coat glistening under the moonlight. He didn't have a view of her face, but he imagined her eyes glistening like an azure crystal as they always did, and her smile as bright as the sun, as it never failed to be.

Was this the same mare that had taken a well-built stallion down with one kick and made a rowdy gang afraid of her in the process? Was this the same mare that had expressed disdain at his employment? Was this the same mare who had been a stern grouch who had been slowly hating the ponies in town thanks to Cortland and his invasive persistence? He was amazed at her metamorphosis from when he first met her, as he never thought he'd see her with such a joyous aura that only emphasized how lovely she was.

He looked at himself, feeling the bulk that he had developed and reviewing what he had been through the past few months. _Am I the same stallion?_

Pinkamena stopped at an incline. Turning to the other three with a smirk, she said, "We're here."

Marble, Limestone, and Cheese trotted to the spots beside her, and stared at the sight ahead. The carnival was on their side of the railroad, and it had enough lights for the small group to behold it. Many booths were up and running, and there were ponies playing a whole variety of games and eating food that the booths presented. A mini-roller coaster, a mini train, a ferris wheel, and a few other rides speckled the field and hills, and there was a stage set up for entertainment, as well a open space where ponies were clearly dancing to the music that permeated the air.

The mares all stared at it in awe, while Cheese just smiled and nodded. "Yep, that's a carnival all right. Beautiful, isn't it?"

They all smiled at him and nodded. Cheese patted his poncho, and added, "Okey-dokey. Got plenty of bits in my pocket and a lot of things to do ahead. Are you girls ready for your first carnival?"

"You bet we are!" Limestone exclaimed.

Marble simply grinned and nodded, and Pinkamena said, "Let's do this."

And so, the four descended the hill to enter into a night of fun.

* * *

Once their tickets had been bought, the first thing that Cheese did was buy some cotton candy and present it to the Pie sisters. After they stared blankly at it, they dissolved into giggles.

"It really does resemble Pinkamena's mane!" Marble said.

Pinkamena rolled her eyes. "Yeah, but it's the color of my coat. Still, is it really as sweet as Cheese says it is?" She leaned forward and took a bite. Almost immediately, she hummed in delight, letting the soft treat dissolve on her tongue. Licking her lips, she sighed, "Yep, it's sweet. Just the way I like it."

Marble and Limestone took bites of it as well. They nodded in approval, their smiles indicating that it was delicious.

Cheese laughed. "I am so glad you like it." He took a bite of his own and looked around. "Okay, now what activity shall we get to first?"

* * *

They didn't care that the Nickerlite residents stared. They didn't care that they were shocked to see half the Pies out and about. They didn't care about the whispers that were going around. And they most certainly didn't care that the townsfolk were making a ruckus about not only their presence, but the fact that they were smiling.

The first thing that they did was a ring toss.

"All right, ponies," the carny said, stroking his goatee. "The rules of the ring toss are simple. You toss a few rings and hope ya get one of the bottles. Succeeding in doing so wins ya a prize. Any questions?"

Limestone stepped forward and stretched. "Not at all."

She was given her rings, and her game began. The very first thing that she did was twirl the ring with her tail, before chucking it forward. However, it kept on zooming straight, and the carny had to duck to avoid it. There was a crash, and the carny rose back up to find that the ring had totaled a cabbage cart, much to the distress of Mr. Green.

The carny turned to Limestone. "What was that? Ya nearly chopped my head off, kid!"

Limestone bit her lip. "Oops."

Pinkamena stared at the shattered cart. "Throw more gently, Limestone. We've already done enough damage for one day."

Limestone turned to stick her tongue out at her, but took Pinkamena's advice for the rest of the game, which resulted in bouncing rings, but no ringers.

In the next game, in an effort to not throw as hard as her sister, Marble tossed her rings as gently as possible, only just barely going past the counter. Cheese's efforts resulted in bouncing rings, but still no ringer.

Finally, it was Pinkamena's turn. Her first four tries yielded the same results as Limestone and Cheese, with a lot of bouncing rings and a very amused carny remarking that it was making a tune. Pinkamena giggled, hearing the tune as well, seeing as it was none other than _her_ song. One final toss resulted in getting her a ringer... on the carny's ear. Pinkamena put a hoof to her face in mild embarrassment.

The carny merely laughed and said, "Well, I always wanted an earring."

Pinkamena giggled. "So, do I win?"

The carny clicked his tongue. "No, your ringer had to be on one of the the bottles for it to be valid. Rules are rules, kid."

Pinkamena sighed. "Very well. Still, it was fun while it lasted, not to mention pretty funny."

"I think that too... except for your sister nearly killing me."

Limestone growled at him.

* * *

The very next thing they did was knock down milk bottles. That was a little too easy for the Pie sisters, and thus the respective prizes of a stuffed puppy, a stuffed tarantula, and a rubber chicken were won. After receiving her rubber chicken, Pinkamena turned around and trotted to Cheese, who opted to sit out on this game. Then, she put the chicken on his back.

She smiled at him. "There you go."

Cheese cocked his head. "There I go what?"

"Well, when you told us the story about the Goof Off, you mentioned that you were sad because the rubber chicken you wanted exploded. Well, I give you the one I won. Is that okay with you?"

"Yeah, but--" Cheese looked at the rubber chicken and his back and stared. He remembered the reason for wanting that first rubber chicken in the first place: to keep him company on the road. After a moment, he smiled and said, "I think I'll name him Boneless."

Pinkamena smiled back at him. "Well, it's a fitting name for him, seeing how he has no bones."

Meanwhile, her sisters were naming their puppy and tarantula Bean and Bunny respectively. After which, they requested to go on the roller coaster.

* * *

Hooves were raised as the mini roller coaster train descended from its hill, falling through a quick series of twists and turns that made them pass the station in less than fifteen seconds. It went through five laps, and each lap brought upon a new game for Cheese and the Pies.

First lap was standard reaction to a first-time roller coaster ride. Second lap was counting how many times they went up and down, accompanied by a singsong "uuuppp and dooowwn!" Third and fourth lap was seeing who could go the longest without screaming, which Marble won. And the fifth was just Cheese singing a song to entertain the sisters, and still singing by the time they got off.

Cheese was breathlessly laughing once he finished his song. "I think my voice is a little squeaky now..."

"Yeah, no kidding," Limestone said. She heard a bell go off, and she turned to see a tower with a bell on top. She noticed that a large stallion had won a silly, rainbow-colored top hat, and chuckled. She looked at the tower again, and asked, "Cheese, what's that?"

Cheese looked at the thing, and answered, "Oh, that? It's a... bell ringer game to test your strength. You buck the target as hard as you can, and see if you can ring the bell. Do so and you win a prize."

"Tests your strength?" Marble asked, now looking at the bell. "You think we could try it?"

"Do we win if we break it?" Limestone deadpanned.

"Limey, you're already responsible for the destruction of a cabbage cart. Pinkamena said we shouldn't break anything else. Isn't that, Pinkamena? Uh, Pinkamena?"

Pinkamena was staring at a sign that said "Caramel Apples," and the look on her face was that of desire. She wondered if they were apples made out of caramel, or just apples covered in caramel. Whatever they were, she wanted to try one.

She lifted her hoof up, and Cheese took it as a signal to give her a couple bits to try it. However, as she placed them between her teeth for holding and started to walk forward, she abruptly stopped, and she started to glare at the stand.

"Uh, Pinkamena? What are you..." Cheese looked up and studied the stand. Almost instantly his face fell into a frown. "Oh."

Limestone and Marble confusedly looked at the stand, and groaned. Of all ponies to be running the caramel apple stand, it had to be Cortland.

"Why couldn't it be Haralson?" Cheese grumbled. "At least he's respectful."

Marble approached her pink sister and patted her back. "Don't worry; we could find another snack around here that you could try. You don't have to go and face that sleazy, no-good, lying--"

"No." Pinkamena stated. "I'm not afraid of him, and I'm not about to give anypony the idea that I am. If anything, he should be afraid of me."

Limestone stepped forward. "What if you give ponies the idea that you're willing to... you know..."

"I'm simply asking for a caramel apple. Nothing more, nothing less. If anypony gets their fantasies going, I'm going to lay down just what I really think of him in the harshest words possible, and don't even doubt that I won't pull my punches. Now, one of you go ahead and ring that bell; I'm getting my caramel apple."

With that, she snorted, and marched up to the stand with a fair amount of pride. This mare is not some confused and abused filly, waiting for her "knight in shining armor" to rescue her from that awful rock farm, and blind to just what a blessing Nickerlite's bachelor of the local Apple Family was. Neither was she a mare afraid of the stallion who had humiliated her in front of her favorite place in town. She was Pinkamena Diane Pie, one of the toughest mares in town, and not willing to put up with any horseapples that the townsponies spew forth.

Soon, she was face to face with him. The two had a staredown, which felt like hours, even though it was most likely for a brief moment. She couldn't stop glaring at him, that circle of chanting and that unwanted kiss fresh in her mind. He was trying to look tough, but she could see in his eyes that he was cowed by her intense glower.

Finally, Cortland spoke. "Can Ah help you?"

Pinkamena exhaled through her nostrils and dropped the bits on the counter. "I would like a caramel apple."

He raised an eyebrow. "That's it? Yer not gonna beat me up?"

"No, that sort of revenge is unnecessary."

Cortland rolled his eyes, and plucked a caramel-covered apple from the tray beside him. "Got that right. Pa made me fess up, and now everypony's just givin' me the cold shoulder. How's that for yer satisfaction?"

Pinkamena took the apple and blinked. "Really? You, being honest?"

Cortland glanced at her mane. "Ya did your hair."

"Thanks for pointing that out." She turned around and started to walk away. "Keep going on that straight, honest path, Cortland. You'll be a better pony for it."

Cortland crossed his front legs, and watched as she returned to her sisters and Cheese. There was no sight of her parents or her older sister, Maud. It would make no sense for them to let their daughters go out to the carnival without their supervision; heck, he was sure they wouldn't let them go at all. As far as he could see, they weren't being all that honest themselves. Looking at Cheese specifically, who seemed to acquired a hat somehow, he recalled the forged letter, and wondered how much of their trust would be shattered in him once this leaked out.

He leaned back and smirked. "Funny you should tell me to be honest while you're doin' this."

* * *

After riding a few more rides, trying more foods, and losing several more games, the group had went to the carousel, and took their seats. Limestone and Marble took their seats on the shoulders of a minotaur, holding the poles it held in it's hands, while Cheese and Pinkamena sat in a sleigh attached to the floor in front of them. After being strapped in, the ride began, and the girls on the minotaur were idly enjoying the ride.

Marble looked down at their hired hoof and older sister, and pursed her lips in thought. She turned to Limestone. "Hey, Limestone?"

"Hm?"

"Have you noticed something going on with those two?"

Limestone looked at them, who seemed to be enjoying themselves and chatting up a storm. "Well, they're having fun, aren't they?"

"Yeah, but... don't you think they're acting a little funny? Not the 'haha' kind of funny, just... the odd kind of funny?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well... they're not exactly acting like 'brother and sister.' The way they glance and stare at each other, just how lost they seem sometimes, and how they're basically just sitting alone together looking kind of lovey-dovey?"

Limestone raised an eyebrow. "Lovey-dovey?"

"Well, that's how I describe the courting couples I see when I visit town!"

"Wait, courting couples? But... Cheese and Pinkamena can't be courting..."

"They're probably not--at least, not on purpose." Marble shrugged and looked away, drawing closer to her pole. "I don't know, maybe I'm just crazy. Maybe I'm only imagining that they're falling in love or something, and that they just have some sort of close kinship that I'm misinterpreting, or--"

"You know, Marble, you might be on to something." Limestone's face broke out into a bright smile. "If they really are falling for each other, there's a chance they might court. And if they court, they might end up getting married. And if that happens... Cheese would be our brother-in-law! And having him for a brother would be just fantastic! And just imagine us being aunts..."

"Heheh, yeah." Marble grinned for a moment before frowning. "But... we have a couple of problems. For one, Cheese's cutie mark dictates that he's a _traveler_. I'm not sure he'd have time for settling down and raising a family."

Limestone waved a hoof. "We'll figure out a way around it. Like, uh... oh, Pa's not getting any younger! Maybe Cheese could take over the deliveries! Problem solved!"

"Uh, sure? But the other problem _is_ Pa. He's not too keen on stallions trying to romance us, remember? If he finds out Cheese and Pinkamena are falling in love, Cheese'll get fired."

Limestone grin fell into a frown. "Oh... right. I guess either way, we'll have to face the day we'll lose him sooner or later. Ugh, I don't want him to leave! He's the best stallion we've ever met, and considering him a brother was the best thing we've done."

Marble sighed. "Yeah... me too. But let's just make the most of our time with him. It's shorter than we'd like."

The carousel slowed to a stop, and the unicorn running the ride levitated a megaphone and announced for all riders to get off. Marble and Limestone slid off the minotaur's shoulders, and followed Cheese and Pinkamena to the exit.

* * *

"All right, time for one last hurrah until we go home," Cheese said. He rubbed his eye and wondered what time it was. He looked at the Pie sisters, nodding in agreement to the last hurrah before they called it quits. They all smiled at him, and he smiled back. "Okay, girls, we're heading to that field where a lot of ponies are dancing and watching entertainment on that stage. You up for it?"

"Yeah!"

Cheese chuckled. "All right then."

As they started to trot to the field, the thought of somepony back at the house waking up and discovering that they're gone came to his mind again. So, far, they managed to get through most of the night without Igneous marching in and catching them. He still held the nagging feeling that he and the other three were making a big mistake. And yet, he had went forward with the carnival night, despite Igneous' rejection of the idea and Tomato being unable to come.

_I must be crazy. Why did I even come here? This could get us in trouble!_

For some reason, just looking at Pinkamena made him stay calm and feel much lighter. The spring in her step, the smile on her face, and the way she talked made him think that maybe, just maybe, it would be all worth it. He looked at Bean the toy puppy and Bunny the toy tarantula on Marble and Limestone's backs, and then at Boneless the rubber chicken on his own. He felt his new hat--a simple, brown cowboy hat--and he couldn't help but grin. He loved the Pies so much, as despite their forbidding exteriors upon first meeting them, he had ended up becoming really happy with them. And in turn, they were becoming happy as well.

He felt on top of the world, and that nothing could bring him down.

* * *

Maud was not all too fond of waking up in the middle of the night. Usually it was due to a trip to the outhouse, which was something that interrupted well-needed rest and a string of fascinating dreams of canyons, quarries, and layers upon layers of precious geological information. But this time, she had noticed something wrong.

Usually, she would hear the hooves of her sisters, returning from a storytelling session with Cheese. But this time, it was completely quiet. While she usually preferred the quiet, this was a cause for concern.

She slid out of her bed, lit her lamp and picked it up, and walked to the door, wondering if they had all fell asleep on the floor in Cheese's room after one too many stories. She wondered if the stallion would ever run out of stories, and if he had any adventures that involved any rocks.

She quietly opened the door, and then made her way to Cheese's room. Standing in front of the door, she knocked it.

No answer.

She knocked again. Still no answer.

After the third knock without an answer, she simply opened the door, and walked in. She looked around, and she could not see any trace of any of her sisters on the floor or Cheese in his bed. While her body was as solid and steady as ever, her thoughts were going into a panic.

Where were they? Why weren't they here? What is going on?

She looked forward and discovered that the window was open. With a single blink, she walked forward, and set her lamp on the nightstand beside the lamp there, knocking the letter off of the table. Sticking her head out the window, she discovered a staircase made of rocks. She pondered when those were put there, and why nopony had heard them being moved there.

And then it hit her. There was that carnival going on in Nickerlite. Cheese had asked to go a couple weeks before, intending to have some fun with his brother. Pinkamena, Limestone, and Marble had expressed disappointment at not being able to go, thanks to Cortland. And who else but a rock farmer was strong enough to move those rocks wherever they wished?

She sighed and shook her head. _Of course they went to the carnival. I hope they haven't gotten into any trouble._

"Maud? What are you doing?"

Maud pulled her head back in and turned to face her father, who had a look of disbelief as he looked around the room. Her mother was beside him, doing the same thing until she spotted the letter and stooped down to put it back on the nightstand. Maud knew that they had heard her knocking.

Igneous looked straight at her. "Where are your sisters? Where's the hired hoof?"

Cloudy's eyes widened as she looked at what the letter said. "What am I reading?"

There went any chance of retrieving them discreetly.


	31. No Excuses

With each stroke of each bow, the fiddles rang out their jovial tune across the field. Banjos and guitars strummed along, washboards were stroked to create a rickety sound, and a harmonica was thrown in the mix. Ponies all around were stomping their hooves to create a beat, and the active trots and lopes that everypony was doing made up the dancing.

Many groups were made up of two rows of ponies--a row of stallions and a row of mares, both rows of equal numbers. They faced each other on the grass, and stomped their hooves along with the beat. They started off their dance by bowing to their partners. Then, each pair of partners trotted forward and circled each other in a do-si-do, and when that was done, the partners locked front legs, and spun each other until they let go, and found themselves opposite of their original spots.

The hooves began to stomp again as a pair of ponies cantered together in a rhythmic spring between the rows, from one end to the other, and then back again. After their turn, the partners continued to canter behind the rows and at the back of their respective lines, leaving the next pair to do the dance.

Pinkamena and Cheese were grinning at each other as they awaited their turn, still stomping to the beat. Beside their sister, Marble and Limestone were glancing at them, and then back to their nervous stallion partners. Whether it was because they were partners of two of the Pie sisters or if they were just lousy dancers was unclear, but their moments were ever drawing closer.

Marble and her partner went on first, and the poor colt ended up tripping halfway through the row. Marble had to pick him up, and dragged him through the rest of the motions. By the time they were at the back of their lines, the colt was beet red from embarrassment.

Limestone and her partner went next, only this time, it was Limestone who tripped. Her partner kept on going, and with a snort, she hopped back onto her hooves, and raced to where her partner had cantered. When she had caught up, she didn't hesitate to give him a kick on the leg--though soft in Pie terms. It still left him limping while going around to the end of the stallion line, and at the end of the mare line, Marble gave her a scolding glare.

Pinkamena sighed and shook her head at Limestone's action. But it was her and Cheese's turn, and off they went into their happy canter. She looked at Cheese's bright, smiling face, and for a moment, they locked eyes, a mutual sense of joy and energy being exchanged. They reached the end, and then loped on back to the other end, laughing as they did so. They separated at the other end, and went around to the end of their respective lines.

Once there, Pinkamena gave a hard nudge to Limestone and whispered, "Don't kick your partner."

Limestone pouted. "Excuse me, he didn't help me up!"

"That's no excuse to give him a limp."

* * *

Once a slow dance had come around, Limestone and Marble sat on the sidelines, holding Bean the puppy and Bunny the tarantula close. They watched all the couples that were engaged in the steps of a waltz, with the sweet pitch of violin strings stroked by a bow ringing over their heads.

They were mostly searching for Pinkamena and Cheese, but could spot neither of them. The pair had stayed behind while the gray sisters had taken the opportunity to rest, so the two wondered if there was something romantic going on, and that they didn't want them to see.

"Hello there, girls."

They snapped their heads in the direction of the voice, which belonged to Bluejinx. The unicorn, holding some cotton candy in his magic, sat down and offered some of his treat to them. They declined, explaining that Cheese had already given them some, and that they had enough junk food for one night.

Bluejinx shrugged and took a bite out of it. "I didn't think I'd see you girls here. Cheese told me your father denied his request to come here. Did he change his mind?"

The two mares looked at each other and bit their lips. Twiddling her hooves, Marble mumbled, "Well... you see..."

Bluejinx raised an eyebrow. "You snuck out, didn't you?"

Both nodded. He shook his head. "What are you girls going to do if your parents wake up and found out that you disobeyed them? Okay, how many of you are here?"

Limestone sighed. "There's us... and there's Pinkamena and Cheese."

"What, no Tomato?"

"He couldn't come. He was busy."

"Busy? With what?"

"I dunno; ask Cheese, he's the one who got the letter. Tommy sure gave a disappointing reply after our two-week wait."

Bluejinx's ears drooped. "Yeah, that does sound disappointing..." He looked around. "Say, where is Cheese? And Pinkamena for that matter?"

Limestone waved a hoof in the direction of the dancing couples. "Somewhere in there, being all mushy or something."

"Um, what?"

Marble tapped her hooves and looked away. "Well... we've been noticing them acting kind of weird, and we've come to the conclusion that they're falling in love."

Bluejinx blinked. "Really? You truly think they are?" When both Marble and Limestone confirmed with nods, Bluejinx smirked and chuckled. "...I knew it."

* * *

Up on the hill overlooking the field where the dancers waltz, Pinkamena and Cheese laid on some cool grass, looking up at the stars. Cheese had his hooves crossed on his chest, Boneless and his hat right beside him, while Pinkamena had her forelegs spread out wide, and they chatted and laughed as they pointed out silly constellations they had created when little.

"Still laughing at that toothless alligator one, I see... oh! Oh! There's the one that Maud created!" Pinkamena squealed, pointing at a cluster of stars.

Cheese rolled his eyes. "Let me guess... it's a rock."

Pinkamena smirked. "Somepony seems to know Maud well..."

"Ehehe, I learned a few things about you girls while I was here." Cheese pointed to another bunch of stars. "Oh, Tommy would see a big fat slice of pizza over here! I mean, there were fewer stars we could see in the Manehattan area than here, but enough for us to connect dots into that." He chuckled. "It'd always make him hungry, and he'd ask if we could go to Grandma and Grandpa's pizza place."

Pinkamena giggled. "No kidding. That pizza stuff you gave us was pretty tasty."

"Hehehe, yeah..." Cheese frowned, still staring at the pizza constellation. He sighed. "It would have been great to have made amends with Tommy already, and he could have had fun with us."

Pinkamena sat up. "I'm sure he regrets not being able to come. I'm sure that he'll be happy to visit when he gets the chance."

Cheese sat up as well, and picked up Boneless. "Still, it's been far too long since I've seen him. I can't help but wonder if he had problems that would have been easier to handle with me around. Meanwhile, I was avoiding going back out of anger and shame."

Pinkamena scooted closer to him, taking his hoof and lifting it up to pat it. "Don't worry. I'm sure he'll understand once you two finally see each other face to face."

Cheese turned to her and smiled sadly. He would have to ask Tomato about the dirtiness apparent in that letter, but he felt that Pinkamena was right. He squeezed the rubber chicken that she gave him, and just watched her smile to comfort him.

He reached forward to run his hoof through her curls. They were soft and silky, unlike his wild hair, and they made the perfect complement to her smile. Her eyes sparkled like the stars above them, and he could feel the warmth emanating from her. His heart swelled just gazing at her, and all he wanted to do was grab her and hold her close, feeling her soft fur against his, and to let her do the same, because it was much warmer when both parties were willing.

He imagined her with the straight hair, the grayish tone, and the scowl that were characteristic of her when he first met her. Even then, she had been beautiful, and it was no doubt that it was part of the reason why he had been so curious about her. Even if she hadn't shown him this more bubbly side to her, he was sure he would have still loved her as much as he did.

Their muzzles touched, and he could see her soft gaze. "I bet Granny Pie and Nana Pinkie are watching you girls from the stars. They would have loved to see the way you were having fun tonight."

Pinkamena giggled. "I can't help but wonder... you mentioned your grandparents. Do you suppose they would have been friends with mine?"

"I bet they already are. My grandparents died years ago, and if anything, they'd have easily made friends with yours."

"That's good to hear." Pinkamena gave a blissful sigh. "I'm so glad I met you, Cheese."

"Me too, Pinkamena."

She closed her eyes. "Just call me 'Pinkie.'"

Cheese's hoof was now on her cheek, and he was so close to her that he could feel her breath. He warmly gazed at every little strand of pink fur on her face, and every eyelash. With their noses touching, he was quick to be curious about the feel of her lips, and it surely hit him that that was what she was waiting for. He glanced away, reluctant to even try it in case Igneous was invisible and was surely watching.

However, Pinkamena grew impatient and took the initiative, putting her lips on his. When she did so, Cheese went stiff, and his face grew hot. He glanced around in panic, searching for anypony who may be watching them, but his body steadily relaxed, he dropped Boneless, and he closed his eyes. He went back to stroking her hair as he returned the kiss, and all worries and all doubt had washed away. His heart was racing, he felt as light as a feather, and he felt a sweet taste in his mouth. He could feel her smile, and soon enough their tails were intertwining. Time seemed to stop, and it felt like that they were going to hold that very kiss forever.

They broke apart, but had not broken out of their fantasy. They gazed into each other's eyes, and their sighs sounded like the breaths of angels. There was this gentle bliss between them, and soft smiles graced their faces as they stroked each other's cheeks.

And then there came a sharp, "AHEM."

Both of their eyes widened, and they turned around. All of their bliss evaporated upon the sight of Igneous giving them a cold, hard stare, flared nostrils, and his mouth in a tight line. Maud stood beside him, with her usual lack of expression, but she was merely looking at her father.

Both Cheese and Pinkamena stood up, and they exchanged a nervous, knowing glance. What could they say? That they had been caught up in the moment? That this was a little experiment seeing what a kiss felt like? Or Celestia forbid, that they might actually be attracted to each other regardless of Igneous' rules or resistance on both their parts?

Igneous turned to Maud. "Take Pinkamena, and go find your other sisters. I'll being leading him back to the farm."

Maud gave a single nod, and silently walked past, pausing to tilt her head toward the carnival as she looked at Pinkamena. The latter nodded, and gave a worried glance toward Cheese as she left with her sister.

Cheese watched them part, and sighed. He picked up Boneless and set him on his back, and picked up his hat and set it on his head. He looked at Igneous, still holding that stony stare, and started to follow the older stallion upon his grunt.

With a trembling voice, he asked, "S-sir?"

"It's late," Igneous snarled. "We'll talk in the morning."

Cheese nodded, and followed him to what was surely to be a restless night, due to the dread of the meeting that was to come once the sun was rising. He pulled his hat over his eyes, and they were silent for the rest of the walk back to the rock farm.

* * *

Once the Pie sisters had returned home, everything was on lockdown. All doors and all windows were tightly latched shut, and all Cheese did was lay on his bed, a pit formed in his stomach and his eyes heavy, but yet unable to close. With his glasses off, he could only stare into the dark abyss that the combination of his poor eyesight and the time of night created, along with the dread coursing through his body. He squeezed his rubber chicken to comfort himself, but to no avail.

_What was I thinking?_ The very thing that they had hoped wouldn't go wrong did go wrong, and now he and the sisters were going to pay for it. The sisters he was sure that they'd be more or less grounded. But him? He had a feeling that he was not going to be around much longer.

He mentally kicked himself for even going along with it. He should have done more to stop Pinkamena's plotting. He shouldn't even have mentioned the carnival to them in the first place! And now, the price was going to be paid.

The night was long, and Cheese only got winks of sleep. But once daybreak arrived, the door was opened. Cheese sat up and put on his glasses to see who it was. Instead of Pinkamena, as it had always been before, it was Igneous, holding that same stony glare in his eyes. Cheese stared at him back, only with dark circles under his eyes and a pleading look asking for mercy. He shakily crawled out of bed, and then followed the older stallion to the kitchen.

He took a seat as Igneous paced around the room, and recalled the day they had the interview. He remembered Igneous showing him the field outside the window, some of his awkward answers to Igneous' question, and that under no uncertain terms that Cheese wasn't allowed to romance any of his daughters. He sunk in his seat as he remembered that last one.

Finally, as he looked out the window, Igneous spoke with a low voice. "Do you know why we're here?"

Cheese mouth went dry, and he sunk even lower.

"I asked you a question, and I expect you to answer."

Cheese took a deep breath through his nose, and wheezed out, "I was disobedient."

"That's a vague answer, Mr. Sandwich. What exactly did you do?"

Cheese bit his lip and looked at the floor. All of a sudden, whatever type of wood that was used to board the floors was far more interesting than what he was talking about with his boss. He even gazed at one board that wasn't exactly flat.

"Answer me."

Cheese swallowed, still looking at that floorboard. "Went to the carnival without permission... and with your three younger daughters."

"And?"

"Snuck out past bedtime."

"And?"

"And... and..." Cheese sighed. "And kissed one of them."

"And who was it that you kissed?"

Cheese winced. "Pinkamena."

"That's right." Igneous went back to pacing around the kitchen, circling the table. "Pinkamena, the daughter of mine who was having the most trouble with a stallion. The one who I was trying to protect the most because of that. The one who despite her hard outer shell is actually the most emotionally vulnerable. I learned that little tidbit when her grandmothers died and she was unable to smile for years after that, despite being the bubbly ball of sunshine as a tiny filly. And you have the nerve to pursue her?"

Cheese twiddled his hooves. "I... I just... I wasn't trying to, it just happened..."

Igneous snorted. "Horseapples. I've seen you getting close with my daughters, but there was an obvious special bond between you two. I could see it clearly with my own two eyes!" He stomped his hoof, and it thundered in Cheese's ears. The tan stallion glared hardly for a few seconds, before his expression softened into a more mild contempt, and he looked down at the floor. "I was just in denial. Until we found that letter."

All the color drained from Cheese's face. "L-letter?"

Igneous took off his hat, and pulled a folded piece of paper from it. As he put his hat back on, he tossed the paper toward Cheese, and it slid to a stop in front of him, opening just enough to reveal the words that his brother had written in his second letter. Cheese stared at it in disbelief.

"H-how did this crawl out from under my bed?! I thought nopony would care enough to look there!"

"I didn't. Cloudy found it on the floor of your room, and it looked like it had fallen off the nightstand."

"Oh, no no no, it was the nicer, less dirty letter I put on the--wait..." Cheese blinked, and then buried his face in his hooves. "Oh, I forgot to check... oops."

"'Oops'?" Igneous shook his head in disgust. "That's all you have to say? 'Oops'?"

Cheese looked up. "Sir, please understand, Tommy has a habit of making bad assumptions!"

"And just how would you know that when you haven't seen him for years? From what I can tell he's some slimy, perverted city boy with no moral values! And given that it seems that he was right on the money about you taking a fancy to Pinkamena and being able to slip away without anypony noticing, you're not much different. I wouldn't be surprised if he already is an uncle!"

"He's not! I have never--"

Igneous interrupted him with a hard stomp on the floor. "Are you so sure about that? How do I know that you're not seducing just Pinkamena, but Marble and Limestone as well? How do I know that you haven't kissed all of them? And how do I know that those carnival games and rides aren't the only fun you had last night? I should have known that you'd be like every other traveler I have met, and that you'd keep doing this until you're bored of my daughters, and move on to the next town with unsuspecting mares! The worst part is that there's two of you, and you let the other one know where we live."

Cheese stumbled out of his seat and looked up. "Igneous, don't you think you're just a little bit overprotective? After all, your girls are not fillies anymore, and I know that they wouldn't let me get close unless they absolutely trusted me."

"Don't you dare try to change the subject!" Igneous snorted loudly, and his face was turning red. "What do you know about trust? You blindly trusted your brother when his letter sounds and smells like a crook! And I know the smell of a crook anywhere."

Cheese's eyes shined with hurt and he continued to gaze mournfully up at Igneous. "Do... do I smell like a crook?"

Igneous sighed. "No... unfortunately, those that don't are the most dangerous. I could smell those crooks that harassed my wife long ago, but I couldn't smell the one who drove my sister out of town."

Cheese blinked, and he got up to his hooves. He looked at Igneous, who was gazing at the floor, and he whispered, "...I'm sorry."

Igneous snorted. "I don't need your pity. What I need you to do is pack your bags, get off this farm, and leave Nickerlite as soon as possible."

Cheese's eyes widened, and his lip trembled. "Does that mean I'm... I'm..."

"Yes, Cheese. It means you're fired."


	32. Get Outta Town

Later that morning, Igneous was having a word with his second-eldest daughter in the living room, while his wife was talking with the younger two in their bedroom. He didn't know how Cloudy was dealing with Marble and Limestone, but he was dealing with a mare that wasn't nearly as meek as the stallion he had released earlier.

Pinkamena stomped her hoof hard on the floor. "Pa, this isn't fair! Cheese did nothing to deserve losing his job!"

Igneous glared out the window, grinding his teeth. "Pinkamena, I trusted him. He broke that trust, and there is no way in Tartarus I'd let him get off scot-free for that."

"But firing him? Come on, I assure you we only played harmless carnival games and tried new food. And if anything, I'm to blame for us sneaking out to the carnival."

Igneous turned to face his daughter, whose glare was fiery, and those curls of hers were dangling in ringlets over her face. He didn't even flinch. "And I suppose you're to blame for that kiss that I caught you two sharing?"

Pinkamena backed up and flushed. "Well, uh, yes, I..."

"So just tell me how he won you over? What kind of smooth talking did he do to get you so infatuated with him? What kind of mask did he wear when you two were alone? And how do I know that wasn't the first time you two had kissed?"

Pinkamena stomped again. "There was no smooth talking! He's an awkward sweetheart through and through, and you're letting one night out and some stupid letter make up your judgement of him."

Igneous snorted. "How do I know you're not lying? Had you not been caught, you would have been perfectly fine in keeping carnival night a secret. Who's to say you're not keeping other secrets?"

"I'm not keeping any other secrets--you're just overreacting! How do I know that you just didn't like him and wanted an excuse to get rid of him?"

Igneous squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath. "I _did_ like him. But he promised that he wasn't to woo any of my daughters, and you don't break a promise to a Pie. Sneaking out with you three has some unfortunate implications that I can't ignore. Plus, he had invited his sick-minded brother over here, and that letter smelled of a crook--we're lucky that Tomato was too busy to come around. Still, keeping Cheese around longer would have soon put a criminal in our midst, and there was no way I was going to let that happen."

Pinkamena stared forward for a moment before she looked at the floor. Feeling her eyes begin to water, she growled, "Pa, I can protect myself. I don't need you to do it for me!"

"Yes... I know you can protect yourself from a full-on assault. Your mother and I have raised you and your sisters well in that regard. But when it comes to matters of the heart, sneaky emotional games are harder to protect against. It was a mistake for me to hire a stallion at all, no matter how harmless he seemed on the surface."

For the third time, Pinkmena's stomp rang through the house, and a dent was left in the floor. Igneous was nearly startled by the look on his daughter's face, which was a cross between ready to kill somepony and about to cry. Giving him a hard glare, Pinkamena yelled, "Has it ever occurred to you that you're overprotective?!"

Taken aback, Igneous replied, "Don't you dare raise your voice at me, young lady! I've seen too many crooked stallions in all my years! Several of them harassed your mother, even when she was pregnant, your grandmothers have had to fend off some unwanted attention, and my sister had been driven out of town by some scumbag who used her! I have good reason to be wary about any attention from colts you girls get." He turned away and looked out the window. "Cheese wasn't going to stay anyway. His special talent is roaming all over Equestria, and no attachment to any place could stop him."

Pinkamena was taking sharp inhales and exhales, and she stared at the floor. Her vision was growing blurrier by the second. "You're conveniently forgetting the good ones, aren't you? Don't they outnumber the bad?"

Igneous leaned his forehead on the glass. "Not in Nickerlite, they don't. Just go to your room, Pinkamena. We're done talking."

With a deep breath, she turned and bolted up the stairs. Turning down the hall, she paused as she passed what used to be Cheese's room. The door was wide open, so she forgot about going to her room, and instead went into the room where many a funny story had been told to the Pie sisters. She stood in the middle of it, gazing as her head turned to every corner of the room. Not a trace of him was left, and the warmth and vitality that once defined this very room was gone and was not going to return.

She sat on her haunches, and began to cry.

* * *

A chipper Bluejinx trotted down the street towards the post office, a big smile on his face. He still had the music from the carnival ringing in his head, and he had just finished an article about it for his aunt to print. As of now, he was going to retrieve letters for the both of them. He wondered if his mother was going to remind him to brush his teeth and keep his horn clean, and what news his friends had for them.

He went in, received several letters from nearly all sources, stuffed them in his saddlebag, and strolled on out. What he saw next was soon to put a damper on his mood.

Cheese Sandwich walked past slowly, his head hanging low and his eyes obscured by a hat. He had his saddlebags, with one containing a rubber chicken for some odd reason--he could tell because its head was sticking out. He appeared to be heading toward the farmers' market, and everypony just stopped, stared, and whispered as he strolled past.

Bluejinx waved and said, "Morning, Cheese!"

Cheese stopped for a moment, turned to glare at him, and snorted. Then he continued on his way.

Taken aback, Bluejinx cantered until he was beside the lanky stallion, and asked, "Um, so... carnival last night was fun, wasn't it?"

"Yeah... fun... woohoo," Cheese snarled.

Bluejinx blinked and scratched his head. "Cheese, are you okay?"

Cheese laughed darkly. "Okay? Oh, yeah... it's nice to know that my brother happens to think that I've hit the 'jackpot', that he really wants to meet the Pies, and most importantly, that he believes he's already an uncle!"

Bluejinx raised an eyebrow. "Uh... what? Why would he think those things?"

"Oh, you don't know? I guess he's been living a dirty double-life under your nose! I mean, wow, I had no idea Tomato thought that way! Igneous smelled the letter, and it smelled like a crook!" Cheese snorted, and continued walking forward. "I'm done with the sleazy twerp... got me fired..."

"Wait, wait, wait... Igneous fired you over a _letter,_" Bluejinx deadpanned.

"And for sneaking out. And for 'seducing' his daughter. And for... well, breaking my word that I wouldn't attempt any sort of romance with any of his daughters." Cheese sighed and shook his head. "It was a dumb move to fall in love with Pinkamena."

Before they knew it, they were at the marketplace, and Cheese just walked to the first stall in sight. "I'm back at square one. I'll just buy some food, and then take the next train out of here. Nothing left for me in Nickerlite, and nopony seems to want me here anyway."

As Cheese lifted his head, he found himself at the apple stand, and face to face with, out of all the Apple family, Cortland. Bluejinx was beside Cheese in a heartbeat, and stood by, hoping to quell any conflict that arose.

Cortland stared coolly at Cheese, asking, "How can Ah help you?"

Cheese mirrored the expression. "On second thought, I think I'll wait until my train stops in another town to buy an apple. I hear they're awfully sweet in Ponyville."

Cortland snorted. "What? You biased against Nickerlite apples?"

Cheese backed away. "I'm not in the mood, Cortland. I'll just get me something else." He started to walk away, and Bluejinx followed, thankful that the conversation was short. Or so he thought.

"Ya seem ta be in an awfully bad mood, Cheese. Didn't have enough fun with the Pie sisters at the carnival?"

Bluejinx turned and growled, "Oh, be quiet, you! He doesn't need your commentary on the subject."

Cortland put a hoof on his chest. "Hey, Ah'm just sayin' that ponies saw you last night, and we're just amazed you talked them into it. Heck, I think the town's abuzz about that drifter having successfully seduced three of the most somber mares in town. And good ol' Iggy most likely didn't like that, I'm sure--Cheese sounds like he's out of a job."

Cheese groaned. "Give up the stupid rumors, Cortland. You just want to slander me out of spite, don't ya?"

Cortland shook his head. "Ah didn't start this one; didn't Pinkamena tell ya Ah came clean? Like I said, everypony saw you with 'em at the carnival."

The mare at the flower stand hopped up and down. "It's true, I saw them! Knowing the Pies would never let their daughters have any fun, it's obvious that this fellow talked them into it!" She glared at Cheese. "Who knows what else he talked them into doing?"

The stallion at the tomato stand joined in with the glaring. "Yeah... I saw 'em, all right. There he was, struttin' around with the mares like they were his little prizes or somethin'. Igneous would do right to get ridda him."

The mare at the orange stand gasped. "What if Cheese has already had his way with them, and is leaving them as we speak? Oh, dear, I can't imagine being in those mares' position!"

Mr. Green the Cabbage Stallion shook his hoof. "And they wrecked my cabbage cart!"

The other stall keepers--as well as Cheese and Bluejinx--stared blankly at Mr. Green. Then, the murmurs of the other ponies erupted again, as they continued to say unsavory things about Cheese and calling him a "walking lump of mold." The lanky stallion shifted uncomfortably, realizing that coming to the marketplace was a bad idea. Bluejinx tilted his head, and started to lead him away.

Cortland picked up one of his apples, and looked straight at the leaving pair. "Now, now, aren't ya here to pack yerself some food? Here, have an apple... on the house!" Just like that, he chucked the fruit straight at them, and nailed Cheese on the back of the head, knocking off his hat in the process. The orange stallion stumbled forward, and rubbed his head, muttering something under his breath. Bluejinx picked up Cheese's hat, dread gracing his features.

The unicorn jumped when the stallion at the tomato stand shouted, "Oh, horsefeathers--it seems I have accidentally put some rotten tomatoes in my stand. Well, I guess I should get rid of them!" With that, the pony threw some tomatoes at Cheese, who had been in the process of turning around. The tomatoes hit him in the face, and his glasses were knocked off as well.

"Oopsie! I have some bad oranges, too!" Oranges were added to the list of produce that Cheese was pelted with, and soon enough, ponies were throwing produce that they had found rotten at him. Some of the market goers arriving were puzzled at first, but then soon joined in when they realized it was that drifter. They scooped up some dirt and threw dirt clods and pebbles at him.

Bluejinx jumped between them, catching some of the projectiles with his magic and getting hit by some of the produce and dirt. He took a moment to glance at Cheese, who was trying to wipe the muck he had obtained off of him, and squinting his eyes as he looked for his glasses. He was biting his lip, and he looked just about ready to panic.

However, a pebble hit Bluejinx's horn, and he cried out, taking a moment to cradle it in his hoof. His eyes were squeezed shut for a few moments, and once he opened his eyes, he found the townsponies surrounding them, still pelting them with dirt and pebbles, but still mainly aiming for Cheese. He looked around in horror, worried that this group was turning into a lynch mob. And then he looked at Cheese, blinded, bruised, and filthy, as well as exhibiting that timid colt he had been in youth.

All of a sudden, there came a crack of a rod hitting something, and this time it was Cortland who buckled down, his hat having been knocked off. The crowd stopped, and above them was an angry white pegasus, holding a broom and looking for her next target. All were looking up, except Cheese, who searched for his glasses.

Sugar Glider's eyes swept the crowd. "How dare you! Pelting these colts with dirt clods and rocks! I don't care if you don't like them, that's no excuse for that awful behavior!"

A pony raised his hoof. "But... Mrs. Candy Shop Owner--"

"No, I don't want to hear another ridiculous rumor! Now, you all get back to your stalls and shopping and whatever you ponies were doing! I don't want to see this kind of thing again!" She patted her broomstick in her hoof, looking ready to beat another pony who made the wrong move.

The ponies got the message, and they slinked away back to the marketplace. Cortland in particular grabbed his hat and kept on rubbing his head, cursing under his breath about the broom. Bluejinx sighed in relief, found Cheese's glasses, and set them back on the other stallion's muzzle.

Sugar landed and exhaled. "My goodness. Why were they doing that?"

Cheese adjusted his glasses and looked at the two ponies in front of him. Then he looked away. "Oh, everypony in town thinks I'm some sleazy, no-good seducer, just because they saw me with the Pie sisters at the carnival last night."

"Oh... well, they assumed the worst. You're a sweetheart, Cheese, you don't deserve to be treated like that. And neither does your friend here. You should go tell the Pies what happened and get yourselves cleaned up."

Cheese shook his head. "I can't. I got fired."

Sugar's jaw dropped. "What?"

"Yeah, I'm sure Igneous doesn't want to see me again."

"But why? I can't wrap my head around any reason why a sweetheart like you would lose his job."

Bluejinx stepped forward. "He kind of broke a promise."

Sugar huffed. "Well, Igneous Rock made a mistake. Who wouldn't want this pony working for them?"

Cheese groaned. "Well, life's not fair. I've got to leave this town as soon as possible, and just continue on with how my life has been for years."

Sugar wrinkled her nose. "Well, you better take a bath. I'll go inform Lemon Drop about your... uh, termination, so he understands why you're bathing at our house again." She looked at Bluejinx. "And you better go home and bathe as well."

Bluejinx nodded, and parted ways with them. He sighed and shook his head. It was unbelievable just how much went sour so quickly, and now Tomato was not going to reunite with his beloved brother, who once again wanted nothing to do with him. Still, he couldn't help but wonder just what that letter said that made Cheese think that way and pushed Igneous to fire him.

* * *

It felt good to be in power over that stallion. The implication that he had been fired was just too glorious. He didn't need to start a rumor to spite the drifter; everypony else had already done so. Just seeing Cheese Sandwich cower under all the junk that was thrown at him had filled Cortland with satisfaction.

But it didn't feel good to have been whacked by a broom.

As he returned to the stand, rubbing his throbbing head, he was expecting life to return to normal in Nickerlite. Sure, all his chances of getting with Pinkamena had been dashed through many unfortunate circumstances, and he was sure that others were talking about him behind his back, but at least his life was better than the pathetic hobo named after a sandwich.

As the day went on, things went on as normal, though not very many ponies were exactly willing to buy from a dishonest Apple. That was really annoying, but his father said he'll live. Still, there was something that bothered him.

The most prominent obstacle to Pinkamena was going to leave town soon. That should have satisfied him completely, but those feelings lessened over the course of the day. Even when seeing Cheese finally head for the train station, he felt like his work was unfinished, and that revenge was not entirely complete.

What was he missing? What was the other thing that would get this feeling to stop nagging him?

He gathered the remaining apples that evening, and set off for home. The question kept gnawing at his mind, telling him that those responsible for ruining his chances with Pinkamena were not all put in their place. He pondered why he was feeling this way when Cheese had been fired and on his way to the next town. He reviewed the last several months, and the only other obstacles he could think of were Pinkamena herself and her father, Igneous Rock.

And then it hit him. Igneous had been around longer than Cheese, and had no doubt been brainwashing his daughters into their somber states. He even influenced Pinkamena into rejecting poor, well-meaning Cortland! And yet the stallion had been stupid enough to let a drifter among them. Still, it was clear to Cortland that the old, gruff stallion had been a bigger problem than Cheese all along.

Somehow, Igneous Rock was going to pay.

* * *

Pinkamena had shut herself in the spare room, refusing any company that knocked. Not even Maud was allowed in. All she wanted was to be alone, and to wonder why this had all happened.

Why did she let Cheese into her heart? She shut her eyes and envisioned his face, with the childlike glow, the warm dimpled smile, and those green eyes that spoke gently to her. She heard his voice, ranging from his deep and smooth voice when calm to his higher and more ecstatic voice when excited or when singing.

She thought of the moment where he offered her a hug, just because her grandmothers were unable to give her one due to being deceased. She thought of his reluctance to admit his story, but ultimately confessing about his colthood. She thought of him just showing her and her sisters the landscape when they had scaled that mountain. She thought of how gently he held little Butterscotch, and how funny he was. She thought of the fun they had at that carnival.

And finally, as she stroked her mouth, she thought of the kiss they shared. She remembered that her heart had been soaring, that she had felt much giddier than ever before, and just how warm he was. It was funny how he started out stiff, thanks to being surprised, but ultimately, he had kissed back with such tenderness that she had felt like she was going to sprout wings and carry him up to the clouds, so that she could hug him and caress him and kiss him forever.

And where was he now? Off to some other town because her father was being overprotective. She groaned, filled with anger that the pony who had brought sunshine back to their farm was now gone, and that sad, boring days were surely returning. Nickerlite would have the ridiculous speculation about the Pies as usual, except there were going to false rumors of a demonized Cheese Sandwich, who had taken the farm by storm and had taken in the three foolish younger daughters for his flights of fancy.

She sighed. She was tired of it all. She was tired of the rock farming, tired of being protected, and tired of the stupid gossip. She was tired of feeling like a caged bird, and tired of not having seen what was beyond the town of Nickerlite. She wanted to see where the railroad led, and see all the places that Cheese had seen.

Her eyes fell to the window. It was still light outside, but she could tell that the sun was beginning to set. After staring a good deal at it, she stood up, strode forward, and punched the lock off. She opened the window, and climbed out... only to find herself dangling from the window, thanks to the rocks having been removed. She took a deep breath, and fell, using her currently bushy tail as a cushion to land on.

She stood up, shook herself off, and stared at the forest. She swiftly went in, going to find away around the farm and to the railroad.

* * *

After having his bath and a long day of working in the print shop, Bluejinx finally had a chance to read his letters from his mother, cousin, and friends. He read his mother's first, and of course, she was reminding him to brush his teeth and keep his horn clean. His cousin Royal Pin talked about how Ponyville came together to recite Wonderbolt history to a mare in town; Cirrus and Nimbus' letter told him that they got parts in "The Rose of Blood Bay" play; Flora's letter talked about how her brother came to town and entertained the others.

He got to Tomato's letter, and thought about Cheese. He thought about asking what his reply to Cheese's letter was, and explaining what had happened. Bluejinx sighed, hating to have to pass on the disappointing news of Cheese leaving, going to who-knows-where and not wanting anything to do with his brother. He opened the letter, and read:

_"Dear Bluejinx,_

_"It seems to me that you and your aunt have some of the funniest arguments. Seriously, bread? Why would that even make a good bar of soap? Seems like a waste of a baked good if you ask me. And there is no way that I'm putting blueberries in my hair to attract mares. I'll just focus on my studies, thank you very much._

_"It's been a while since I sent that letter to Cheese, and he still hasn't replied. Figures. I should have known that he still hated me and had torn up the letter. All I want to tell him is that I'm sorry for all the strife I've given him, and that I would like to have him as a part of my life again. But, if he's happy just roaming around Equestria or working on that rock farm, I guess I should just drop it. All I am to him is the annoying younger brother._

_"But, enough of that depressing factor. The other day at the park, Flora made me a flower hat that was twice my height. It attracted a lot of bees. Not fun. Have any of your new friends in Nickerlite done funny stuff to you? I imagine that pegasus mare with the baby must be really funny, and I'd like to meet some of your print buddies someday._

_"Anyway, take care, and I hope to see you soon._

_"Your friend, Tomato Sandwich"_

While Bluejinx had chuckled about the letter, he found something off about it. He scratched his head. _But Cheese did write you, Tommy. In fact, you sent a letter back... didn't you?_

He reread the letter, hoping to understand why Tomato had forgotten about Cheese's reply and the letter he had wrote. Pegasus mail was typically fast, delivering under a week, so the only way that Tomato didn't receive Cheese's letter was if it had dropped out of the bag somewhere along the way. But that still didn't explain where that reply came from.

He put a hoof on his chin. "Something fishy's going on around here..."

* * *

Pinkamena found her way to the top of the hill where her grandmothers were buried. She gazed down at the town, which she had learned to despise in a matter of months. Her eyes fell on the train station, where a train awaited passengers to board it. To her amazement, she had spotted Cheese.

She did not know the why and how of his delay, but she was happy for it. She tried to check her saddlebags to see if she had enough bits for the train fare, only to realize that she didn't bring anything. Even worse, the train was whistling, Cheese had boarded, and it was coming out of the station.

Panicking, she sped down the hill, and as the locomotive pulled out the cars behind it further and further from the station, she stumbled down the hill and fell flat on her face. She hopped back up, and not caring who or what was watching, she dashed forward, and leapt onto the caboose. She at first clung on to the railing for dear life, but she soon climbed over to relative safety. Turning around and sitting, she watched as Nickerlite became smaller and smaller as the distance between her and the town grew.

She smirked. "So long, Nickerlite. I'm off to see new places."

She leaned on the railing and thought of her family, and she let out a sad sigh. "And goodbye, my family. I'll miss you."


	33. The Detours of Life

Cloudy Quartz knocked on the door of the spare room. "Pinkamena? You've been in there all day--it's time for supper."

No answer. Cloudy pursed her lips, and glanced at the girls' room once again. She had already checked to see if Pinkamena had gone in there, and upon finding that she didn't, deduced that she was still in Cheese's former room. It was obvious that Pinkamena was missing Cheese terribly, and was just sulking in the memories they had made in there. Cloudy had only heard him tell one story, but she could see why her daughters had started to grow fond of him. She herself was terribly disappointed about the events last night and the firing of Cheese that morning.

But, breaking a promise to a Pie was serious business. And she couldn't help but wonder just what Cheese wrote to his brother that brought on such a reply. And while it had been suggested that Igneous had been overreacting, what was done is done, and Cheese was on his way to the next town. All that was left to do now was to adjust back into the way things were before.

She knocked on the door again. "Pinkamena! Answer me!"

There was yet another lack of response, and Cloudy groaned. She opened the door, and walked in, only to find that Pinkamena wasn't there. Instead, there was an open window with a broken lock. Cloudy's eyes widened.

"Oh, no." She turned and bolted down the stairs, yelling, "Igneous! Pinkamena ran off!"

* * *

Igneous cantered into town, grumbling under his breath about that pink daughter of his. It couldn't be a coincidence that he fires Cheese in the morning, and Pinkamena runs away later that day. His daughter had turned into a lovesick puppy, and she was most certainly chasing him. And by granite, Igneous was going to get his daughter back.

He had left the girls to watch the farm, and stand by in case Pinkamena returned. Meanwhile, he was going to travel as much as he needed to in order to fetch her and bring her home. And perhaps put Cheese in his place should Pinkamena have already caught up with him.

The town had already quieted down for the day, save for a few stallions walking into the saloon and laughing like idiots in there. He watched from across the railroad as a few bottles flew out and hit the door of the candy shop. He noticed a silhouette of a well-built stallion with a cowboy hat walk into the saloon, but thought nothing of it. He hopped onto the platform of the station, and approached the ticket station.

The pony there smiled. "Howdy! How can I help you?"

Igneous cleared his throat. "Has a little pink mare about yea high, with darker pink hair and blue eyes come here?"

The other pony stared at him blankly. "...I'm sorry, I don't understand."

"A _pink_ mare. You know, one of the Pies?"

"What, Pinkamena... oh, you're her father!" The other pony laughed with an obnoxious "Hyuk, hyuk, hyuk," before he went serious. "I'm sorry, but she didn't come to the station. Why do you ask?"

Igneous huffed. "She took off. I intend to track her down and bring her home."

The other pony shrugged. "Sorry, bud, but she didn't come to the station. But I did hear ponies talkin' about a pink pony just jumped onto the caboose of a train that was leaving earlier--ya think that could be her?"

Igneous growled. "Train hopping, Pinkamena? That'll get you in trouble..." He snorted. "When's the next train?"

"Er... later tonight, 'round eleven. My shift'll be over by then--I need my beauty sleep, yanno."

"Uh-huh. I'll be taking that train. If I'm right, then she's following the colt I fired, and he's going to the next town."

"Oh, that's Ponyville!" The other pony grinned at him. "So... one way or round trip?"

* * *

Cheese gazed out the window, watching as the landscape passed by under the dimming light. What was outside of the train alternated between meadow and forest, through varying shades of green, and bore many kinds of trees, from the evergreens to the aspens, the oaks and the maples, and the willows and the ash trees. The window was open just a crack, but it was enough for him to smell the pine scent and feel the cool breeze from outside. Had he not been in a train, he was sure he'd have heard the chirp of crickets, the hoots of an owl, and the howl of a lonely wolf.

He sighed. Thinking of a lonely wolf reminded him of how alone he was, and that he had just lost who he had come to consider his family, as well as the chance to rekindle a bond with his brother. He was back to square one, and bound to continue the old pattern of walking, working, making friends, and then losing all he had gained in one blow. This time hurt the most, because he not only grown attached to the Pies, but he ended up falling in love with one of them. It didn't help that he had been humiliated in town right after getting fired.

He leaned against the window and sighed. "Kick me while I'm down, huh? Why not bother getting to know the vagabond before flapping those tongues? I'm not that bad... I'm just... nopony, that's all."

That's when a head popped up from under his seat and startled him enough to shout. He stared at the head, which was pink, bore a mess of raspberry ringlets, had beautiful blue eyes...

"Pinkamena?" He sat straight back up, rubbing his eyes and blinking, wondering if he was hallucinating.

She was glaring at him in a scolding manner. "Cheese Sandwich, you are not nopony! Anypony who dismisses just how sweet and funny of a stallion you are is wrong! Ooh, let me tell you the many ways you are not a nopony! First off..."

He continued to stare at her, expecting her to fade away. When she didn't, he tentatively reached forward, and held her face in his hooves. He kept on gazing at her, as awestruck by her eyes as he was when he first saw them. He wasn't even listening to what she was saying, just hearing the sound of the high voice that rang like a bell touched by an angel. She was scolding him for the way he was thinking, but his heart was just soaring at the mere fact that she was here, in front of him, and he could feel her.

"...and that's my list of reasons why you're not nopony! Anypony who says otherwise is wrong!" She kept the brow furrowed to keep a stony stare, but she was clearly failing as tears started to roll down her cheeks. "Those Nickerlite ponies are stupid! They don't ever register what any Pie says because we don't even live close enough to be part of their community and have these dumb labels slapped onto us." She pulled the rest of her body out from under the seat. "It's not fair for us, and it's not fair for you! It's not fair that my Pa has the wrong idea. It's not fair that you got fired like that. And it's not fair that those ponies judged you by your association with us and your status as a drifter. No matter what, I'll keep repeating how wonderful and special you are until it is drilled into your thick head!"

He continued to gaze at her, a mixture of confusion and awe in his face, and whispered, "Why?"

Pinkamena took a deep breath, and her expression softened. "Because I love you."

He had already had an impression that she really liked him back--the kiss they shared the night before was a very heavy clue--but hearing her say it really hit him like a ton of bricks. It was strange to know that she was drawn to him, but it was the good kind of strange. He could feel his heart swelling with joy, almost to the point of bursting. His face was the definition of shock for a brief moment, before it drew up into a smile. He wanted to return the phrase with an "I love you" of his own, but words failed him. So, he quickly devised a backup plan.

Still holding her face in his hooves, he leaned forward and kissed her. It was not a very well thought out plan, but it worked as she reciprocated. That same warmth and sweet taste came rushing back to him, and he just wanted to draw her in closer, hold her tight forever, and--

Another thought hit him, and he quickly pulled back. Before Pinkamena could complain, he asked, "Uh, just one question: What are you doing on the train? I think I would have noticed you earlier."

Pinkamena bit her lip and looked away. "Well... I kinda jumped on as the train was leaving the station..."

Cheese nearly jumped out of his seat. "You stowed away?!"

And that was when the conductor trotted in, and gave them both a cold, hard glare.

* * *

"Oh, throw us off the train, pal! Not like that'll hurt us!" Pinkamena yelled.

Cheese rose from his patch of dirt, and started spitting out dirt clods that had formed in his mouth. His body ached from the impact, and he was pretty sure his chin was bleeding. He glanced at Pinkamena, who was rubbing her front right leg as she shouted obscenities at the cars passing by on the railroad. Both were covered in dirt, and Cheese had a crack in his glasses. It was just in the corner, but it was going to drive him crazy.

Pinkamena snorted as the last car passed, and then looked at the trees surrounding them. She had never seen so many different types of trees, and never had she been in a forest at night. "Gee, I guess we're lost."

Cheese was now on all four hooves and picking up his hat and saddlebags. "Nah, we're not lost as long as we follow the railroad. Now... what kind of foolhardy thing are you doing running away from home?"

Pinkamena started to follow the railroad, turning her head to glare at him as she did so. "You're one to talk--you ran away from your home, remember?"

Cheese trotted beside her. "Hey, Pinkie, Nickerlite's the other way..."

"I'm not going to Nickerlite, I want to get away from Nickerlite..."

"Your family is going to miss you, Pinkamena! I'm the nopony of my family, remember? Not like I'm missed."

Pinkamena flared her nostrils. "Not like you're missed? Um, hey, how about that brother of yours? I'm sure he misses you!"

Cheese snorted. "Yeah, sure, that's right. Never mind that he got me fired!"

"So, what, you're just going to forget about trying to contact him again? Dash all hope of you two reconciling?"

"Pinkamena, the letter smelled like a crook! The words alone may have been suggestive, but that smell implies that he's not the little brother that I knew. He did say I should expect a change in him--I just can't believe it's such a horrifying way for him to grow up. And I invited him over to the farm..."

Pinkamena tilted her head. "I highly doubt Bluejinx would have a crook for a friend..."

"Tomato's just living a double-life under Blue's nose." He glared at her. "But, we're getting off track! Why did you run away?"

Pinkamena ground her teeth. "Didn't you hear me complaining about the idiots in Nickerlite while we were on the train? They seem to have a collective reason repellent in their brains!"

Cheese raised an eyebrow. "Reason repellent?"

"It's the only thing I could think of!" Pinkamena sighed. "Besides... I'm tired of Pa trying to protect me. I just feel like a caged bird. I want to go out and see the world and what it has to offer. Your tales have only made that desire grow, and when you showed us that view, I got even more excited."

Cheese's mouth was a tight line. "Were you just saying you loved me just so I could take you on a world tour?"

"What? No, I wasn't!" Pinkamena stopped and stomped her hoof. "I don't say 'I love you' very often, Cheese! When I say it, I mean it!"

Cheese scoffed and stopped. "Fine, whatever you say. I still think we should turn around and take you home."

"You can turn around and go back; I'm going forward, and there's nothing you can do to stop me." She stuck her nose up, and resumed trotting forward.

Cheese stopped, grinding his teeth. If he tried to drag her back, she'd only drag him forward, being stronger than him and all. His arguments had been shot down, and he had a gut feeling that she'd take his warnings as a challenge. He sighed and sauntered forward, not willing to leave her alone in the woods. Brute strength was not going to help her should she come across a poisonous plant.

They came across a train tunnel. It was only wide and high enough that a train would fit through, and didn't leave much additional room at the top and both sides. All that could be seen in there was pitch black, which Cheese figured meant the other end of the tunnel was a ways away. He stopped, and tugged Pinkamena's tail to stop her.

Pinkamena turned her head to glare at him. "Hey!"

"Don't go in there. It's safer to go around."

She shot him a half-lidded look. "We'll get lost if we stray from the tracks, remember? Besides, the train already passed, so it can't be that bad." She resumed her walking, only for Cheese to jump in front of her and shake his head.

"Pinkamena, we don't know when another train will come, if there are any safe spaces in there, and if there are, would we be able to get to them in time should a train come? If I had a schedule for the trains, I suppose I would consider going through; but we don't, so I say we go around the tunnel."

Pinkamena looked up at the hill that the tunnel was bored through. It was high, and it looked too slippery to scale. She looked at Cheese, and opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the sound of a train horn coming from the tunnel. With a groan, she answered, "Fine, we'll go around."

* * *

Igneous Rock was alone.

He stood there on the platform of the station, with only the firefly torches as company. Night had fallen, and he was just switching between looking both ways to see if a train was coming, looking forward at the empty street, and looking up at the stars.

He took off his hat and shook some dust off of it. Placing it back on his head, he closed his eyes. It was a rare occurrence that he traveled without making a rock delivery, and even rarer that he'd take a train. But he needed to hurry and catch Pinkamena before she went too far, and if that meant staying up late to catch the train, so be it.

He could feel his head grow heavy, and his breathing get slower. He shook his head and forced his eyes back open, but could hardly suppress his yawn. He checked the station's clock, which read 10:45. He groaned, reminding himself that he usually didn't stay up this late. Still, he had fifteen minutes left, and once he boarded the train, he could sleep a few winks before the train reached Ponyville.

It was silent. Not even crickets were chirping. Even the saloon, which was usually open late, was silent. It was an eerie silence, almost like the very moment before a monster jumped out and attacked a pony. Igneous could only hear his own teeth chewing on the wheat in his mouth and his own steady breathing. While the silence was a bit unsettling, he wasn't scared.

Of course, there came an interruption to the silence in the form of several stallions crossing the tracks, whispering about some mischief they were up to. He spotted one of them carrying what looked like a bucket of black paint, and while he was curious, he decided that he shouldn't press it. They passed on by, and Igneous merely continued to wait.

That's when he heard laughing, and the screams of a pony being attacked. Alarmed, Igneous jumped off the platform and ran to the back of the station. Much to his surprise, out of all ponies, he found Cortland being held by several of those thugs he had seen around town. For once in his life, the younger stallion looked absolutely terrified, and upon looking at Igneous, held a pleading face.

"Mr. Rock, save me!" he cried.

Igneous stepped back, watching the scene before him. He quickly realized that that bucket they held did not hold black paint, but tar. They also carried a pillowcase, in which feathers were stored. The thug ponies looked greedily at their next victim, slowing ripping open the pillow and slowly stirring the tar to torture him. Cortland struggled, but the other ponies were too strong. His eyes silently begged Igneous to stop this gang, using his super rock farmer strength.

There Igneous stood, pursing his lips and looking straight at that colt. The colt who had relentlessly harassed his daughter, spread lies about his family, and frustrated his own father trying to nudge him back on the right path. There was a part of him who just wanted to stay standing there, let him be punished for the grief he had been causing Pinkamena. He was tired of the rumors in town that he had aggravated, and he pondered just how satisfying it would be to see him tarred and feathered.

On the other hoof, this night would surely lay heavily on his conscience. For one, being tarred and feathered was hardly a pleasant experience for a pony, and it was something that Igneous wouldn't wish on his worst enemy. As much as Cortland was a nuisance, he certainly didn't deserve that kind of pain and humiliation.

Besides, it was about time that those thugs got taken down a peg.

The first thing Igneous did was jump forward and knock the bucket away from the thugs with one of his hind legs. One of the thugs dropped the pillow, and leapt forward to attack him. Igneous knocked him back with a good headbutt, and then bucked away another pony coming after him. The other thugs dropped Cortland in surprise, and went to dogpile Igneous. Much to their dismay, he bucked them all off in one jump, and sent them flying in several directions. A couple of them hit the back wall of the train station, which was made of stone, while the rust landed in the dust. While the group was all dazed, Igneous begrudgingly helped Cortland up.

"Don't take this the wrong way," Igneous said. "I still don't like you."

Cortland rolled his eyes. "Ah figured as much."

Then, one of the thugs shouted, "Come on! Let's show Oldie what we're made of!"

Igneous snorted. "Oldie? I'm not old..."

Cortland backed up as Igneous was jumped by the thugs. The older stallion kicked a pair of them away, and then punched another. He grabbed one that leapt toward him, and threw him into another. He ducked as another tried to jump on him, and then bucked another pony trying to sneak on him from behind.

Noticing that four of them had lined up and were charging him, he sprinted forward and then slid. He quickly bowled all four of them over, and used a small rock as a stop. The sudden stop made his hat fly off, but Igneous decided to retrieve it when he was done with the fight. He turned to look at the stallions lying in the dirt, groaning and grumbling about the old stallion being tougher than he looked. He glared at them, his breaths heavy and his legs beginning to ache.

He noticed another of the ponies crawling toward Cortland, and galloped toward him. Grabbing the thug by the tail and throwing him behind him, Igneous gritted his teeth and glared at the Apple stallion. "You idiot! Get out of here!"

Igneous was pulled back into the fight before Cortland was able to respond. The rock farmer was thrown into a paint pony, who shouted, "You moron! I'm on your side!"

As he got off the thug, he ended up taking a whiff of the stallion's scent. His eyes went wide and he froze as he recognized the smell. He stared at the pony, who stared back with great curiosity. As the two were locked in their stares, Igneous couldn't help but think of the night before, when he had read and smelled the letter from Cheese Sandwich's brother.

But just who was he staring at?

A searing pain suddenly ran down his back as something sticky was slathered onto him. He cried out in pain, and instinctively bucked away the pony spreading tar on him. Cursing himself for forgetting about the tar, he turned around to see more thugs, only to be pushed forward by the paint. He used this to his advantage, quickly headbutting one of them down, and punching and bucking a few more away. At one point, he scooped up some dirt, and threw it in the faces of the thugs.

He glanced at Cortland, still standing there and watching the fight. "Go home! You shouldn't even be out here right now!"

Another pony tried to jump him, so Igneous turned and bucked in swift motion. However, he turned just a little too fast and stretched just a little too far, and as he hit the other pony, something seemed to pop in one of his hind legs, and his muscles began to scream. As the legs landed, they buckled out from right under him, and with a cry he collapsed on his side. Clenching his teeth and squeezing his eyes shut, he could feel his leg throb, and each throb was like a knife stabbing him in the leg repeatedly. All energy was suddenly sapped from that leg as the pain continued, and he could feel it beginning to swell.

The thugs stopped their attack, and surrounded him, looking down at him, breathing heavily. They looked surprised that their opponent had fallen, especially since he had more on them than they did him. They looked at each other, unsure of what to do about him. They watched as Igneous tried to lift himself back up with his front legs, but collapsed again as his hind legs failed him.

Igneous heard Cortland laugh. He looked up to see the Apple stallion approaching them, a wicked smirk on his face.

Cortland looked at the thugs. "Good work, fellas. Didn't Ah tell ya he'd strain himself if you were persistent?"

Igneous' face contorted in anger. "What?! You mean you're with them?!"

Cortland shrugged. "Hey, you had the option of leavin' me to be tarred and feathered."

"But you weren't going to be, were you? You just faked it to get my attention, huh?"

"No... pfft, hahaha, eeyup."

"And here I thought you weren't _that_ low. How'd you jump from harassing my daughter to siccing crooks on me?"

"Can't say, Ah don't really know." Cortland crouched down so they were face to face. "But what Ah do know is that yer attitude just don't fit in here, Iggy. And Ah'm plannin' to fix that."

Igneous spat in his face, causing the younger stallion to jerk up and wipe his face. Glaring up at him, Igneous retorted, "You're still sore that you can't have Pinkamena, aren't you?"

Cortland replied by spitting in Igneous' face in return. He looked up at the biggest thug, and snarled, "Knock 'im out. I'm done hearin' him."

* * *

"Well, what do you know? We're lost!" Pinkamena snapped. "Nightfall sure didn't help matters."

Neither of them knew how long they had been away from the railroad, but now they were in a dark forest at night, a chilly breeze combing through their fur. They were treading carefully on the forest floor, watching for dark shapes that could be rocks or bushes that could be tripped on. Sticks cracked under their hooves, and the chirps of crickets and the hoots of an owl permeated the otherwise still forest.

Cheese kept glancing at the crack on his glasses, and he bristled every time he did. One small little crack shouldn't be this irritating; but it was, and Cheese feared that he would be driven mad by it. It didn't help that Pinkamena was complaining about their detour.

Cheese snorted. "Well, excuse me for worrying about the possibility of us getting killed in the train tunnel. Trains don't have a conscience, you know. Maybe if you had just agreed to turn around and go back to Nickerlite..."

"And do what? Work on rocks and deal with those idiots in town for the rest of my life?"

"Here's an idea: ask about staying with relatives."

Pinkamena huffed. "Yeah, sure, that'll work."

Cheese sighed. "Pinkamena, you can't just run off like that."

"Ahem, I'm talking to a fellow runaway."

"Well... you can't stay with me. Let's not forget my so-called 'motives' concerning you and your sisters. You're going to be in a heap of trouble once your father finds you, and I'm ninety-five percent sure he'd skin me alive if I so much as look at you again."

Pinkamena sat on a stump and laughed derisively. "He's not going to find us; we're lost! We'll probably die here from some tree falling on us, or we'll fall off cliffs! Or maybe we wander into an Ursa Major's cave and get eaten!"

Cheese groaned and shook his head. "Let's just find a place to sleep... like a soft patch of grass, a nice small cave without any Ursas..." He looked up, and to his surprise, he saw a little light up on the hill. He leaned forward for a closer look, and added, "Or maybe a random cabin in the woods..."

"Huh?" Pinkamena jumped off her stump, and looked up on the hill. She saw the light, and the silhouette of a house. She stared at it, a look of awe on her face.

Cheese tapped his chin. "What is this pony doing staying up so late?"

Pinkamena lurched forward, grabbed his tail, and dragged him up the hill. "Who cares, let's go!"

"Whoa! Pinkamena? Pinkamena? Pinkie?" Cheese tried to dig his hooves into the ground, but that failed as Pinkamena continued to ascend with him in tow. He bumped his hoof on a rock, and cradled it as it ached from that. He looked behind him, and they were getting closer and closer to the cabin.

Finally, they were at the door, and Pinkamena proudly knocked. She bounced in place as they awaited the resident of the home. Cheese looked at the plain exterior, and wondered aloud, "What kind of hermit lives here?"

The door opened to reveal a pink older mare, with her sandy brown mane wrapped up in a bun, save for some bangs drooping on the left side. She looked at them curiously with golden eyes before her expression softened and she chuckled.

"Another pair of lost hikers," she said. "Come in, dearies, I was just making some midnight hot cocoa."

Pinkamena happily trotted in, while Cheese just stared at the interior. The walls were plain log walls, adorned with pictures of rocks, cats, trains, and some faraway photos that he assumed were of her family. The furniture--consisting of a couple of soft chairs, a rocking chair, a coffee table, and a sofa--was almost all red and purple plaid, as was the rug on the hard floor. The kitchen was small and simple, with a stove, some cupboards, an icebox, and a table. On the stove was a kettle, which he assumed was water for the hot chocolate she was making.

"Go on, young colt, take a seat," the mare said.

Cheese blinked and strolled into the cabin, shutting the door behind him with his tail. He made his way to the couch, and sat beside Pinkamena. He took a deep whiff of the pine scent that filled the cabin, and glanced at a set of stairs placed between the living room and the kitchen.

The mare had a spoon and was now stirring chocolate into hot water she had poured in three mugs. "So, dearies, would you care to introduce yourselves?"

Pinkamena put a hoof on her chest. "I'm Pinkamena Pie... but, feel free to call me 'Pinkie.'"

Cheese twiddled his hooves. "My name is Cheese Sandwich."

"Ah... so Pinkie and Cheese." The mare chuckled. "What a funny coincidence; 'Pinkamena' was my mother's middle name, and she liked to be called 'Pinkie.' Can't say I've ever met anyone with the name 'Cheese', though."

Cheese and Pinkamena looked at each other, and then their eyes were drawn to the mare's cutie mark. It appeared to be a stone hearth, with a warm glow coming from the fire within it.

As the mare brought a tray with the cocoa, Pinkamena asked, "So, uh... what's your name?"

The mare smiled, and set the tray on the coffee table. "My name is Sedimentary Rock."


	34. Lost and Found

Bluejinx was up and about early the next morning, and he was not very happy.

A heavy feeling of suspicion was weighing on his mind. Cheese's account of sending a letter and then receiving a letter from Tomato, and Tomato's account of never receiving a reply from Cheese didn't match up. He had recently went to the post office and mailed a reply to his letter, explaining the confusion. Now, with the mail from last night in tow, Bluejinx was going to see if the so-called "smells" of the letters matched up.

Bluejinx had no idea just what a "crook" specifically smelled like, though he could guess that they smelled bad. Then again, he had met some lowlifes back in Manehattan that most certainly did bathe; he had even gone to school with a few of them. But there was no doubt in his mind that Tomato was not one.

He crossed the railroad, still pondering the letter that Cheese received. Just what about it was enough to get him fired? From what Cheese had told him, it was definitely implying something that Igneous didn't like.

He idly glanced at the field beside him, and briefly wondered how ponies could pack up a carnival so fast. However, he noticed that behind the train station, the dirt had a bunch of hoofprints and skid marks, there were patches of uprooted grass in some places, and some black mounds dotting the ground. He stopped and stared at the patch of land curiously, wondering just what had happened there that tore it up like that.

He scratched his head, and then his eye caught something laying a ways away from the site. He turned and approached it, and discovered that it was a black hat. Recognizing it as the kind of hat Igneous wore, he picked it up with his magic and examined it. It was old and worn, but still steady, and there were gray hairs sticking to the inside of the hat. He levitated it to face level and brushed the dust off of it.

"If this really is Mr. Rock's hat, what's it doing out here?" Bluejinx wondered aloud. He shrugged and kept on walking to the farm. "If it is, I suppose returning it wouldn't hurt. Maybe I could use it as leverage to further my investigation of that letter."

Still, he kept on looking back at the torn up land behind the train station, and his mind had the crazy thought of Igneous being caught in some kind of struggle.

* * *

The very moment that Bluejinx showed Cloudy Igenous' hat, red flags went up in her head. Knowing Igneous, he would never remove his hat in public, the two reasons being that embarrassing horseshoe scar from Maud's birth, and the fact that the hat used to belong to his father. Only if it flew off while he was in the middle of something would he be caught without it. That Bluejinx found it a good hundred yards away from the train station brought on some concern. Even if Igneous did stick his head out a window and a breeze caught the hat, how could it even land there?

Bluejinx led her and her daughters to the site where he found the hat. In turn, they were drawn to the patch of land behind the train station.

There was no doubt in her mind that there had been a struggle here. There was a large mark where somepony must have skidded, and there were hoofprints of varying sizes, though all did agree that they were big. There were several spots where somepony scooped up some dirt, and the resulting clumps were broken and scattered all over the place. Finally, for some reason, there was this black stuff dotting the ground.

Limestone bent down, smelled some of the black stuff, and recoiled. "Bleck! That's tar!"

Marble's eyes went wide. "Tar? You don't mean to tell me that Pa was tarred and feathered, do you?"

Maud simply looked at the ground. "There are no feathers."

Marble shrugged. "Whoever did this might have picked up the feathers."

Limestone gave her a half-lidded stare. "Then why didn't they clean up the tar?"

"Well, you could hardly call tar pleasant to the touch."

"Now, don't start one of your quarrels, girls," Cloudy said. "Chances are we could be wrong, and your father simply lost his hat when the train left. But, truth be told, I don't think that's likely, he's got no reason to stick his head out a train window. And, well... " She stared some more at the disturbed earth. "Fighting with a rock farmer tends to tear up the land."

Bluejinx shifted uncomfortably. "And... well... I did hear a few things about Igneous being abusive in town..."

Cloudy turned and glared at him. "'Abusive'? You know very well that's a lie! And what does that got to do with anything?"

"...maybe they attempted tarring and feathering him because of that?"

Marble piped in, "But everypony in town knows that Pa's super strong. Trying to mess with him is a terrible idea."

Limestone looked at the railroad station. "I'll go ask the ticket pony. Maybe they know what happened."

As Limestone left, the others looked among each other, scratching their heads at the events of the night before. Bluejinx cleared his throat, and asked, "So... do you think he won or lost?"

"How would he lose?" Marble asked. "He may not be able to smash rocks with his bare hooves anymore, but he could still kick a large Diamond Dog's butt seven ways to Sunday. Ponies should be a piece of cake!"

Bluejinx shrugged. "Maybe he was restraining himself? I don't think he'd want to kill a pony."

"Even then, only way to beat him is if he breaks a bone or strains a muscle," Cloudy deadpanned. Then she raised her voice once again. "But for all we know, we could be mistaken, and Igneous really is on his way to wherever to retrieve Pinkamena! He could have won and scared whoever attacked him off. It don't really explain the hat, but we don't have much in the way of proof either way."

Limestone returned and said, "The ticket pony says that Pa was still waiting for the eleven o'clock train when he left. That's all he knows."

Bluejinx scratched his chin. "That late hour is concerning... still, somepony should go travel to where he supposedly went, just to make sure he didn't get in a fight and lose... and possibly missed the train."

"What are you, a detective?"

"No. I'm simply concerned."

Maud stepped forward. "You ponies can try to look for him in town. I'll take the train."

* * *

"Now, now, I know you have a lot of questions; I have some of my own," Sedimentary said. She set three bowls of oatmeal down on the table for Pinkamena, Cheese, and herself. "But you know I couldn't let you stay up asking them and me answering them."

Pinkamena couldn't help but bounce in her seat, her hair--now having fallen from ringlets into waves--bouncing along with her. "I know, I know, Aunt Seddie--but come on! I've been wondering where you've been since I've first heard about you! I mean, you've been gone since my parents were engaged!"

Cheese dug his face into the oatmeal, but still looked up and glanced between the two mares. Now that he was awake and more alert, he could definitely see the family resemblance. She had the exact same eyes as Igneous, and she was the same tone of pink that her niece was. He recalled last night, where after the initial shock of her revealing her name, he had blurted out the question of if she had a brother named Igneous. Once Sedimentary had confirmed it, both he and Pinkamena exploded with questions, to which Seddie responded to them with telling them to go to bed.

He wondered just how Igneous would react to this if he were here. He wondered how Sedimentary would react to her other nieces, and to the news that her mother had died in her absence. And he wondered how she'd react to the kind of rumors that had erupted about them and to Cortland's harassment of Pinkamena.

Meeting Igneous' sister led to thoughts on how a reunion between him and his brother would go, which he quickly shut out with recent events in mind.

Seddie chuckled at Pinkamena. "So... Igneous did marry Cloudy Quartz, didn't he?"

Pinkamena nodded. "Mm-hm. First they had Maud, then me, then Limestone, and lastly, Marble. You only have nieces, no nephews."

"Ah, that's nice. I liked Cloudy, I'm happy she's my sister-in-law."

"So, uh, have you really been living up here for nearly three decades?"

Seddie sat down and brought her bowl of oatmeal closer. "Actually, no, I traveled all over Equestria for quite some time before settling here eighteen years ago. I've been to Canterlot, Manehattan, the San Palomino Desert, Las Pegasus, you name it! But... I haven't been to Cloudsdale for obvious reasons."

Cheese chuckled. "I bet you haven't been to..." He hopped out of his seat and reared up, whinnying, "Aaaaaapple-LOOSA!"

Seddie let out a hearty laugh, while Pinkamena stared and scrunched her muzzle in an attempt to hold back a laugh. She squeaked out, "...what?"

Cheese went back to his seat. "Appleloosa. That was just how the stallion greeting me said it."

Seddie's laughs died down, and she said, "Oh, my.... ahahahaha... I haven't been there. I might need to get a new map of Equestria sometime. I'm going to guess there's apple orchards there."

"Yep... and some buffalo. And I used to have a drawing of a horse drawn carriage from there, but I lost it in a river."

"Aww... why can't paper be waterproof?"

"Beats me."

Pinkamena interrupted the silly conversation. "So, Aunt Seddie... if you've been just out here all this time... why didn't you ever come visit? Pa would've been overjoyed to see you again."

Seddie frowned and looked away. "Oh, Pinkie... I couldn't go back to Nickerlite. I don't think I could face those townsfolk like my brother could. He was always the steady one who never let others' opinions sway him; I was the more whimsical and romantic one who was determined to leave a good impression. I even got jealous when Igneous got a special somepony and I didn't. So, I attempted to attract one by acting like those sassy and shallow mares in town.

"I ended up attracting a Mr. Windswept Goldenmane. And let me tell you, he was the most handsome stallion that I had ever met. Tall, majestic, with a blonde mane to match his name and a snow white coat, I couldn't believe he had took an interest in me. I was such a smitten kitten, and what had made it even better was that Igneous did not like him, so I kept being friendly with Windswept just to spite my brother. I hated how he thought he could boss me around just because our father had died.

"And then that carnival came. At first, I was having a wonderful time. And despite things being a little strained between Igneous and I, I was actually quite happy when he and Cloudy decided that they were going to marry. However, soon enough, I ended up in a little trouble. You see, Windswept had some of his friends have a little fun with me... and it was not fun for me at all.

"It started with a cute little nickname game, which devolved into awful names that I wouldn't dare call anypony else. I can't exactly remember the sequence of events, but in the end I was covered in soggy carnival food, dirt, grass, and surrounded by ponies making assumptions about my activities with those colts. Of course, one look at Igneous, and the look on his face just killed me. I'm sure that under that shock, he was ashamed of me, so I ran off with my remaining bits, and took the next train out of the town.

"Ever since then, I've been traveling. I've often thought about Ma and Igneous, but I never returned because I thought they had disowned me for my foolishness. Even now, I fear that even if they had let it go, they'd still be upset with me for never returning or even writing a letter. I'm even afraid that Igneous thinks I haven't even changed from my youth, and that he's angry at me for not listening to him about Windswept and running away."

Pinkamena sank in her seat, and pushed her oatmeal away, to which Seddie perked up and said, "Hey, now, you should've told me you didn't like oatmeal!"

Cheese cleared his throat. "If I may, Miss Sedimentary... Igneous told me that he has no hard feelings. He actually misses you a lot and will definitely welcome you back should you return."

Seddie tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. "Now why would he tell you that? You're not kin."

"Well, uh, no... I worked for him for the past couple months."

"Oh, he hires ponies? I thought he'd have his daughters and wife help."

Pinkamena hopped up. "He does. He just hires ponies if they come crawling to the farm and ask, which is what exactly Cheese here did."

Seddie smirked at her niece. "I see. Seems that you might've taken a liking to him, huh?"

Cheese blushed and rubbed his head. "Well... she didn't like me at first. I was just a shy colt with sticks for legs and was easily preyed upon by the riffraff in town."

Pinkamena giggled. "We all warmed up to him over time... after all, he's a such a kind and funny pony, I couldn't help but fall in love with him." She leaned on the table with a dreamy expression, while Cheese simply held the blush and let his eyes wander. However, Pinkamena's face fell into a scowl. "And then Pa had to overreact over some stupid letter, and think that Cheese was just another Cortland and fire him! Hmph, Pa's overprotectiveness and those idiots in Nickerlite--especially Cortland--were why I took off."

Cheese sighed. "Oh, Pinkie..."

Seddie blinked in confusion. "Er... who's Cortland?"

Cheese looked at the crack in his glasses and growled. "Apple stallion in Nickerlite that was bothering her. A lot. Town thought that he and Pinkie were an item when in reality, she found him really annoying and he couldn't take a hint until he had a good smack in the face."

Seddie put a hoof to her mouth. "Oh, dear. An Apple? The ones I've met were all very friendly."

Pinkamena had her head on the table. "This one was the wrong kind of friendly."

"Well, I understand why you ran away... still, I don't think that was the best solution."

Pinkamena shot up, her mouth tight and her brow furrowed. "What?! Aunt Seddie! Are you suggesting that I should have _stayed?!_"

"Now, now, Pinkie, calm down. I'm just saying that maybe you should have talked with them about staying with relatives out of Nickerlite."

Pinkamena pointed at Cheese. "He didn't take that option when he ran away from his home!"

Cheese jumped and then glared at her. "Excuse me? Hey, my parents aren't exactly the understanding type! They'd just brush me off as being overdramatic!"

"Well, my Pa wouldn't understand when I argued with him! He's just a stubborn old coot, and it'd do me some good to stay away from him awhile."

"At least you know your parents love you unconditionally! I felt like I had to be perfect to get my mother to smile! I think Maud would take a lot less effort!"

"Hey! Don't bring my sister into this!"

"You brought me into this!"

Pinkamena growled. "Well... how'd you like it if I brought your brother into this? After all, doesn't Tommy miss you?"

Cheese crossed his front legs and looked away. "Let the little ketchup squirt keep missing me. He got me fired with his stupid letter."

"Sheesh, Pa overreacted to the letter!"

"If he smells that a crook wrote it, then I trust his judgment."

"Why, you--" Pinkamena slammed her hoof on the table, and the entire thing went crashing down, oatmeal and all.

Pinkamena and Cheese stared at the broken table in horror, with the former's hoof still hovering over the wreckage. Biting their lips, they glanced at Seddie, who stared blankly at them, unimpressed with the argument that they had just in front of her.

"I see you developed that good old rock farmer strength, Pinkamena, with a good dose of fiery temper," she deadpanned. "And I had no idea that Cheese could be so bitter."

Both of them sunk, and looked away in shame. They had let their tempers get the better of them instead of discussing them peacefully, and they could sense the disappointment tinged in Seddie's voice. The fact that she was so calm made them feel even more guilty.

Seddie leapt off her stool and sighed. "Maybe Igneous did overreact. Or maybe he's just stressed from Nickerlite gossip and this Cortland fellow. Perhaps he just has me in mind when trying to protect you. But if there's anything I know, it's that alienating yourself from your family when they mean well is not going to solve anything. All you're doing is running away from your problems."

Pinkamena looked up. "Aunt Seddie... I'm tired of feeling like a caged bird... I don't want to be cooped up at the rock farm every day for the rest of my life."

Seddie patted Pinkamena's back. "Tell you what--I'm overdue in seeing my brother. Maybe I could speak with him, see what kind of solution that we can come up with."

"What about Cheese?"

Seddie looked up at Cheese. "Hmm... well, I'm not sure I could change Igneous' mind about firing him." She sighed. "I'm sorry, Cheese..."

Cheese smiled sadly. "It's okay, I'm used to losing jobs and leaving towns..." He turned and showed her his cutie mark. "I'm destined to walk all over Equestria, anyway."

Pinkamena looked at him sadly. "But... I won't ever see you again."

Cheese got off his seat, approached Pinkamena, and hugged her. "I know... I'm sorry, I really am. I was really coming to consider your family as my family. I hate to go, I really do." He released her and then put his hoof on her chin, making her look up at his face. "But if it's any consolation, I will never forget you."

"Neither will I..." Pinkamena blinked back tears. "Cheese, could you at least make up with your brother? He needs you to set him straight."

Cheese grimaced. "I don't know... how could I set him straight if I'm not exactly the model of perfection?"

Pinkamena kissed him on the nose. "You don't have to be. Just keep being your kind and funny self... and be sure to smack some sense into him."

Cheese chuckled. "I, uh, guess it's worth a shot."

That was when there was a knock at the door. The both of them turned to the door, wondering if there was another lost hiker lost in these woods. Seddie, on the other hoof, cheerfully skipped to the door. "Either it's another lost hiker or my pie delivery. The question is who will the open door reveal?"

Cheese and Pinkamena glanced at each other and shrugged. They found it curious that she had apparently ordered pies instead of baking them, but they decided to keep their mouths shut. Instead, they watched as Seddie answered the door. The open door revealed an orange mare, with a mane of gold, a freckled face, and emerald eyes. Atop the mare's head was a brown Stetson, and on her face was a warm smile.

"Why, it's Applejack!"

Applejack tipped her hat. "Well, howdy, Seddie! Brought ya those pies." She gestured to the cart behind her.

"Oh, good, breakfast was just ruined, and one of them will do for my replacement breakfast." She grabbed the pies from the cart and carried them inside. She set them on the counter, and covered each of them with rags. She turned back to Applejack. "Come in, come in! Tell me, how's your family?"

Applejack unhitched herself from the cart and walked in. "Well, we're all just fine. Granny Smith took up swimmin' again, Apple Bloom's gettin' bigger and more foolhardy, and Big Macintosh... well, he don't change much. Now, what do you mean by replacement--" Applejack stopped to see Sedimentary's smashed table, a mess of oatmeal, and her two sheepish guests sporting awkward grins. "...oh."

Seddie gestured to the two. "Applejack, meet my niece Pinkamena Pie, and her friend Cheese Sandwich."

Applejack smiled. "It's very nice to meet ya, Pinkamena... and Cheese Sandwich? Say, weren't you that colt that worked for the Cakes for a spell?"

Cheese rubbed the back of his head. "So you remember me."

Applejack nodded. "You sure got taller. And Ah can't help but wonder what you been up to for all these years."

Cheese shrugged. "Oh, just traveling, working odd jobs here and there, meeting ponies, nearly getting killed several times, and uh, most recently... getting a mare to like me." He glanced at Pinkamena, who giggled. "As in, like-like, or attraction, or a crush, or maybe I should say it flat out and call it 'love.'"

"Well, shoot, really?" She turned to Pinkamena. "He treat you good?"

Pinkamena nodded. "He's been perfectly nice and polite the entire time I've known him... though, admittedly, he was shy. And easy for thugs to pick on." She ignored the pout that Cheese was giving her.

"Eeyup, I remember him being shy while he stayed in Ponyville."

Cheese rolled his eyes. "I've been working on that."

Seddie cleared her throat, and all the younger ponies turned to her. She looked at Applejack and said, "Now, after we have some pie, do you mind taking us to the train station?"

Applejack gave her a funny look. "Uh, sure. Why?"

* * *

The four had left Seddie's home, and were now taking the path to Ponyville. The forest was far more beautiful under the sunlight, as the group was exposed to leaves of many different shades of green, and a whole variety of wildflowers growing along the path. Little critters scurried here and there, and the songs of birds rang through the trees. A cool breeze brushed the cheeks of the ponies and wafted the scent of the flowers to their nostrils.

Applejack hauled the cart, especially when Seddie got tired at one point and had to ride in it, and when Cheese wanted a nap to catch up on lost sleep from the night before. Pinkamena offered to help her, but Applejack assured her that she was just fine pulling the cart by herself. So, Pinkamena walked beside her, and the two ended up chatting away.

"A rock farm?" Applejack asked. "So... yer name's 'Pie' and yet you work with rocks?"

Pinkamena nodded. "'Pie' just comes from my maternal grandmother. My Ma thought it was fitting to name all of us 'Pie.'"

"And how many's all?"

"Four: Maud Pie, Pinkamena Pie, Limestone Pie, and Marble Pie."

Applejack chuckled. "First one sounds like 'Mud Pie.' And Ah haven't heard of a Pinkamena or a Limestone Pie."

Pinkamena rolled her eyes. "'Pinkamena' is from my paternal grandmother. That's the one who's Aunt Seddie's mother."

"Yanno, Ah've always wondered why she lived all alone up there, especially now that I've met her niece."

Pinkamena sighed. "It's a long story. She ran away from Nickerlite a long time ago after being humiliated."

Applejack pursed her lips. "Nickerlite, huh? Mah uncle says that that town don't have a lick of horse sense. It don't help that mah cousin Cortland encourages the darn rumors that sprout up there, 'specially the ones about the rock farmers... oh, right, that must be yer family."

Pinkamena scowled. "Got that right. Ugh... did your uncle tell you about his attempted courtship of me?"

Applejack's eyes widened. "You're the mare that Uncle Haralson talked about in his letter?"

"Made my Pa even more overprotective than he already was." Pinkamena groaned. "Was your cousin always that annoying?"

"Well... he did tease me when we were just young'ns. But he stopped when I bucked 'im in the face."

"Oh? Well, he stopped when I smacked him in the face and bruised his cheek."

Applejack shook her head. "Well, if it helps any, Granny Smith's ponderin' about tellin' Uncle Haralson to send him to Appleloosa. There's mostly kin there and if he tries anything funny, he'll be taken care of in two shakes of a lamb's tail. Hopefully, he'll learn to value honesty more."

Pinkamena let out a sigh of relief. "I'll just be glad when he's gone! Even when he came clean about his lies, the town still believed that we Pies were violent, rock-throwing hermits that'll smash anypony's head in if they so much as set foot on our property! Maybe it'll be easier to clear up once he's gone."

"And he better be a better pony after a few years in Appleloosa--if he ain't, then Ah don't know what we'd do."

"Death penalty?"

Applejack glared at her. "Why would we do that to kin? Look, Ah know you don't like him... Ah don't like him much mahself. But Ah doubt that he ain't open to changing for the better. Ah promise you that we can whip them lyin' and obsessive habits outta him before you know it."

Pinkamena raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Applejack nodded proudly. "Ah wouldn't let him be a bad apple forever."

Pinkamena blew some hair out of her face. "Just as long as I don't see his face for a long time."

Soon enough, a town came into view. With many humble houses dotting the landscape, with a few fancier buildings, it was a town one would hardly call remarkable, aside from the nearby dark forest, looking ready to eat the houses and the inhabitants thereof. The grasslands surrounding the town were lush and green, and much life was bustling in the streets of the town.

Pinkamena bucked the side of the cart, soft enough not to break it but hard enough to rattle the occupants. The heads of the tired Cheese and Seddie popped up, and they saw the town in front of them.

Applejack smiled at them and gestured to the town. "Welcome to Ponyville."

* * *

They walked to the train station, finding a train had just pulled in. Since this train was coming from the direction that Nickerlite was, they had to wait for the one that would be heading there. They waved goodbye to Applejack, who was heading back to her farm, and sat on the platform. Cheese stayed with them, hoping to spend every moment he could with Pinkamena before that train came and they had to part.

Pinkamena took a deep breath. "Pa's going to be really cross with me."

Seddie put a hoof on Pinkamena's shoulder. "Don't worry; I have a feeling that things'll turn out for the better."

Cheese smiled at her. "I think he might lighten up a bit once he hears Cortland will leave town."

"Applejack said her granny was just thinking about it," Pinkamena pointed out.

"Yeah... well... I'm sure that they think taking him away from Nickerlite would do him some good."

Pinkamena shrugged. "Probably. He's already had a piece of humble pie; he needs seconds and thirds."

Cheese chuckled. "Or maybe just the whole thing. That's the only kind of pie he should have."

"No Pinkie Pie for him."

Cheese's chuckles turned into full on laughter. He rolled off the platform, and landed on the ground with a thud. He simply stood back up and hopped back onto the platform, still chuckling and muttering, "I'm okay, I'm okay, I'm okay..."

Pinkamena gave him a funny look and nudged him. "It wasn't _that_ funny..."

Cheese finished laughing, and they watched the passengers file out of the train. Some went out alone, some went out in twos, and some squeezed out in groups, yelling and cursing the whole time. Pinkamena wondered what was so special about Ponyville this time of year that many ponies were visiting the town for. Nickerlite never had this many ponies file out at its station at once.

Much to her surprise, a familiar gray mare was among the passengers. Pinkamena hopped to her hooves, and asked, "Maud? Is that you?"

Maud turned to her, and blinked numbly as she always did. "There you are."

"Uh... yeah." Pinkamena shifted uncomfortably. "So, Ma and Pa sent you to find me?"

"Actually... I'm here to see if Pa had made it here."

Cheese and Seddie stood up, sporting the same confused look as Pinkamena, who said, "Oh... figures that Pa would go look for me. But, wait, what do you mean 'made it here'? Shouldn't he be wandering around Ponyville, looking for me?"

"He left last night. We found his hat this morning, lying by some torn-up land behind the train station."

"Aaaand... you're just making sure that he didn't miss his train and wasn't kidnapped or anything?"

"Ma's worried."

Cheese raised his hoof. "You mind if I ask the ponies in this town if they've seen him? Because surely he'd be asking around town for Pinkie's whereabouts."

Maud blinked. "Sure."

Cheese gave a nod, and then sped off toward the town, accosting the first pony he saw. The mares stared at him as he did this, and then turned back to each other.

"Are you sure you guys are not just overreacting?" Pinkamena asked. "I mean... Pa's a tough pony."

"It's not like him to forget his hat... or stick his head out a window so it'd be blown off," Maud replied.

Seddie stepped forward. "Well, if Cheese comes back with news of no Igneous Rock in Ponyville, that'll give me more reason to return to Nickerlite. Hopefully, I still have my keen dog-like sense of smell! I got that from Pa, hee hee hee."

Maud glanced at her, and asked her sister, "Pinkie, who's this?"

Pinkamena smiled. "Oh, that's our long lost aunt, Sedimentary Rock."

Maud's eyes went wide.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little reminder that this thing was written back in 2014, so it's pre-Season Five, hence the inaccuracy of Pie Family structure. 
> 
> Even after several years, I still get a kick over having shoved in that Applejack cameo. XP


	35. Of a Stallion's Whereabouts

"Headache" was an understatement; describing the pain in his head as "his pickaxe driven through his skull" would be closer to accuracy. He could feel just how swollen his hind leg was, and for some odd reason, the other one was numb. Nausea had his stomach caught in a tight grip, and his throat was dry. And the harsh burning sensation that was spread across his back was not going to cease anytime soon. A blindfold was over his eyes, so he little idea of where he was. All he knew was that the gang used the tar on his back to stick him to a wall, and that the place smelled like dusty straw.

Igneous heard the clamor of voices below, reasoning that he was not on the ground floor of wherever he was. He caught snippets of the conversation of those thugs, which mentioned somepony on a trip to some relative's house, and some crude joke. There was no clue as to where he was, and he believed his family would be none the wiser, thinking that he had actually boarded that train. He could only imagine their shock if they saw him now.

Still, he couldn't help but wonder why the gang didn't just kill him when they had the chance. The railroad had been right there; just stick him to the tracks, wait for a train, and the job is done. Did they not want to have to clean up the resulting mess? Were they touchy crossing into the territory of murder? Did Cortland have other plans for him?

Cortland. The name made his blood boil. That colt had sunken to a new low, all over the bitterness that he couldn't have Igneous' daughter. He had that Apple Family stubbornness, but there was little, if any, of that honesty and dependability that were characteristic of that family. Why couldn't he just let it go and leave it alone? The more he thought about it, the more he believed that he got off light for the other things he did.

He started to cough, silently cursing the air in his prison. Each inhale brought forth dust and bits of hay that tickled his throat and burned his lungs. A violent sneeze finished the coughing fit, and he groaned, his stomach churning and awaiting the time to spill its contents. The muscles in his swollen leg twinged, and he clenched his teeth.

"Haralson, you moron... couldn't you have nipped that problem in the bud? None of this would have happened if you had been stricter with him."

Sweat ran down his forehead and started to dampen his blindfold. His entire body perspired, and the dryness in his throat had spread to his mouth. He was feeling especially hot on his back, where he couldn't sweat thanks to the tar. In a desperate attempt to cool down, he took a deep breath and started blowing on his barrel and forelegs, though he could not lean very far. It was getting tempting to try to lap up his own sweat, and his stomach was begging to empty itself.

He was also very tired. But tired as he was, he was certain he couldn't take a nap with how he was feeling. Plus, he was afraid that should he shut his eyes, he might not wake up. Still, his eyes were heavy, he was weak, and was propped up in an uncomfortable manner.

He couldn't help but wonder what he did to end up in this mess. Giving Cortland the benefit of the doubt, allowing the younger stallion to stab him in the back, was quite obvious. Going to the train station in the first place? He had a good reason--Pinkamena ran off. And her reason for running off? He had fired Cheese. Igneous had fired him for disobeying him, breaking his promise not to woo any of his daughters, and the implication that he had invited a scoundrel to the farm.

But that pony he had smelled during the fight smelled exactly like the letter. That pony couldn't be Tomato Sandwich--who would name a brown-and-white paint "Tomato"? Wouldn't it be more fitting to give that name to a pony who was red? The more he thought about it, the more he suspected that the letter had been forged. And if anything, it had fooled him.

He sighed. Not only did it fool him, it made his paranoia go over the edge. He wondered if he had only been looking for an excuse to get Cheese off the farm as to avoid the situation of one of his daughters in a so-called romance followed by a terrible heartbreak. Wondering if he was right to trust him, trying to deny that he had been growing fond of the lanky colt, conflicted about reading his smile as genuine or a mask, wary about the bonds he was developing with the girls, and letting misgivings he had about stallions like the convicts he knew, Windswept Goldenmane, those thugs in town, and Cortland influence his judgment of Cheese.

Maybe Pinkamena was right. He was overprotective.

His lip trembling, he thought about the cruel irony that had happened in his life. He lost his sister because he wasn't protecting her enough; he lost his daughter because he was protecting her too much. He wondered what his mother would have thought of this if she were still alive. And now, he was certain that his wife and daughters were going to lose him soon.

He regretted not kissing Cloudy goodbye when he had left.

* * *

"Ah haven't seen hide nor hair of him," Haralson said. "Don't ya think yer gettin' a little worked up about this?"

Standing on the Apples' doorstep, Cloudy snorted, and was crouched in a position ready for attack. "Look, this apple orchard is big! Some crooks could've dragged him here and hid him somewhere among the trees!"

Haralson backed up. "Calm down, calm down! You know Igneous is a tough pony--Ah don't see any way he'd lose a fight."

Blossom came to her husband's side. "Haralson, we could check just to be sure."

Stayman and Idared popped out from in between them. "Check what?"

Haralson sighed. "Cloudy Quartz here is worried that her husband mighta been attacked last night, and is looking for him... even though he could've gone on that train..."

Cloudy glared at them. "There was a fight in that spot, all right." She held up Igneous' hat. "And if anything, he wouldn't leave his hat behind."

Stayman gasped. "A murder mystery! Igneous could be dead in our orchard and it's up to us to find the body and find the murderer!"

Idared stuck out her tongue. "Eeeewww...."

Haralson shook his head. "Ah don't think a rock farmer could be beat that easily. Still, Ah'll look, just in case."

Stayman jumped and pumped a hoof. "Murder mystery!" With that, he took off into the trees.

Blossom gasped and ran after him. "Stayman! There ain't anything fun about findin' a dead body!"

Haralson stared as his wife chased after their youngest son and shook his head. Cloudy stared in that same direction, wondering why the hay that colt would want to find a dead pony. She had Marble's reaction to that skeleton at the rock farm in mind, and figured that Stayman would have nightmares should he succeed in his quest.

Idared poked Cloudy's foreleg, and asked, "Cloudy, why'd ya fire Cheese?"

Cloudy turned to her and sighed. "Well... he broke our trust."

"How?"

"He snuck out of the house with three of my daughters, kissed one of them, invited a criminal to our home, and he broke a Pie promise! And you should know that we Pies take promises very seriously."

Idared stamped her hoof. "He's in love with another mare?" She put a hoof to her head dramatically. "Oh, the curse of being just a filly!"

Haralson chuckled. "Ah told Igneous that his 'no romance' rule made for a difficult promise ta keep. Colts are often attracted ta forbidden fruit, yanno. Why do ya think that Cortland got interested in Pinkamena?"

Said colt came in the doorway and groaned. "Are ya _still_ goin' on 'bout that? Ah'm done with that!"

Haralson nudged him. "You mind checkin' the orchard, see if Igneous is dead or unconscious in there? Cloudy says he went missin'."

Cortland's eyes widened. "Missing, you say?" His brow furrowed. "Do Ah have to go look fer him? It ain't like he didn't just take the train and take off somewhere. And why our orchard?"

Cloudy narrowed her eyes. "My daughters and that blue unicorn are looking in other places, too."

"Huh... and what do Ah get if Ah find him?"

Haralson snorted. "Cortland..."

Cloudy stomped her hoof. "Nothing in return! Except maybe just a little more respect from us... after all, aren't you going to prove yourself a real Apple?"

Cortland rolled his eyes. "Well, if he's dead, might as well go find him before he scares mah brother." He walked out the door, and started to walk into the grove.

Cloudy could have sworn she heard him snickering.

* * *

Bluejinx walked out of the candy shop and sighed. Lemon Drop didn't know anything; and when he had visited Sugar Glider at their home earlier, she didn't know anything either. They had been asleep at ten-thirty the night before, and they had not seen any suspicious activity at all. Both had suggested the possibility of Igneous having _not_ missed the train, to which he replied that Maud was taking care of that. He looked up at the sky and shielded his eyes, figuring that it was midafternoon.

He gazed at the saloon across the street. If there was anypony who'd have any idea what happened to Igneous, it would be the thugs that hung out there. But whether or not they'd tell was a problem, and Bluejinx could hardly call himself in fighting form. They'd laugh at him and beat him to a pulp. The only way he'd survive in there was if he had one of the Pies with him.

Almost against his will, he started to cross the street. He could hear the crashing sounds of a fight in there, and winced at the howls of pain coming from inside. His mind screamed, wondering why he was heading there, why he was planning to ask about Igneous, why he wasn't just leaving that part of town to Limestone or Marble, and why he ended up roped into this mess. He snorted upon remembering that _he_ was the one who found the hat.

Of course, when he reached the doors of the saloon, two familiar mares were shoved out, being called "troublemakers" by the bartender.

Limestone and Marble stared at Bluejinx for a moment, as if they were expecting him to ask why they were in there. Limestone cleared her throat, and answered, "Crooks wouldn't answer, we tried to beat answers out of them, and we got in trouble."

Bluejinx gave them a funny look. "I thought you ponies were generally non-violent."

Marble rolled her eyes. "They started it."

"Uh-huh."

"Well, they did! We just simply asked them where they got their cuts, bruises, and the like, and then they backed us into a corner and threatened us. We did the only thing we could."

Limestone huffed. "You'd think they'd just answer with 'bar brawl'. Defensive much."

Bluejinx pursed his lips. "Do you suppose we go to the sheriff?"

"Already went to him," both mares answered.

"He laughed us off, told us that he more than likely caught the train, and that everypony knows that a rock farmer could crush you easily," Limestone deadpanned.

Marble sighed. "He didn't even consider letting us show him the site... lousy sheriff."

Bluejinx shook his head. "Lousy sheriff indeed; he blew me off when I told him that some of my letters were stolen." He sighed. "I'm having just as much luck as you girls. I might as well go back to the print shop and start making some missing posters. We might have to offer a reward for finding your father. Maybe spread the word to other places in Equestria. I'm hoping that this is all just a big misunderstanding that we're making a big fuss about." He shrugged. "I guess we'll find out when Maud returns."

"You think Ma had any luck?" Marble asked.

It was at that moment Cloudy Quartz dejectedly interrupted the conversation with a simple, "No."

* * *

Cortland had taken the opportunity to stuff the letters in his hat before his father, his brother, or Cloudy Quartz decided to search his treehouse. The search for Igneous Rock in the orchard was a wake up call to getting rid of the evidence that the letter Cheese had received was a fake. And if anypony figured that out, it wouldn't be much of a jump for them to assume that he had something to do with Igneous' disappearance.

Now, as evening fell, he was strolling through town, on his way to Mr. Green's boarding house, where Riffraff and his gang were staying at. Between his teeth was the handle of a lantern, and his hat was pressed firmly against his head by his hoof. The letters underneath were making his head itch, but he couldn't afford to release them. He had a goal to burn them as soon as possible.

Not to mention he had to get rid of Igneous as soon as possible, lest the crazy Pie mares start breaking into homes and ransacking them just to find him. But he needed a way that would not leave him messy, not have any clues pointing to him, and would ensure that Igneous was done for in the quickest manner possible.

The sound of a train whistle blew, and he idly glanced at the train station, where a train was now pulling out. With a grunt, he continued on, looking for the alley that led to the boarding house just on the outskirts of town.

* * *

Back in Nickerlite. Cheese never thought that he'd return to a town within a day of leaving it.

Still, news of Igneous' disappearance spurred him to join Pinkamena, Seddie, and Maud on the train ride back. He didn't care that Igneous didn't want to see his face again; if Igneous was in trouble, there was no way Cheese was going to let that slide. His attachment to the Pies was stronger than any orders into exile.

He leaned on the side of the train station, where he would have a good view of the town if the train wasn't in the way. Irritation ran through his body every time his eyes were drawn to the crack in the corner of his glasses. He adjusted the hat on his head and brushed his poncho to try to distract himself from that. And he was stumped on what to do next.

The fact that Seddie had her face in the dirt, sniffing each grain of sand, each pebble, and each dab of tar on the ground was frustrating. The tar was alarming, that's for sure, but Sedimentary was wasting time smelling the dirt. Maud had left to gather the others, leaving him and Pinkamena with the aunt who, while she undoubtedly had better smell receptors than he, was definitely no bloodhound. She had been doing this from the moment they had gotten off, and the train was now leaving.

Still, Seddie did bring about some tidbits--the fact that Igneous had indeed been in the very spot behind the train station, and that he was attacked by a gang, if the various smells were anything to go by. He was amazed that she still recognized her brother's scent after all those years, and wondered how anypony could develop such a keen sense of smell. Still, she didn't seem like she was going to move anytime soon. He wondered if she was just waiting for the train to leave before they went any further, or if she was aware that Maud had left and she was just waiting for her and the others.

"...oh, and this thug smells like daisies!" Seddie exclaimed. Her face fell into a frown. "Dead daisies that had been burned at the stake."

Pinkamena gave her a funny look. "Uh... who'd burn daisies on a stake?"

"Oh, who knows? Somepony crazy, that's for certain." Seddie took another whiff of the ground. "Goodness! From what I've smelled, we not only have the lynched daisies, we also have tar--pfft, obviously--and skunk mixed with roses, not to mention the smell of manure dipped in ink--oh, disgusting! And we also have rotten tomatoes, a stinkbug, slimy moss mixed with ketchup..."

The train had passed, and Cheese could see few ponies out and about. One of those ponies just so happened to be Cortland, and he was holding his hat against his head for whatever reason. Cheese scoffed at the sight of him, still bitter about the fruit pelting thing from the day before. However, not much thought was put into that colt.

At least until Seddie said, "...and the smell of apples..."

Cheese's eyes widened. "Apples? Did you say apples?"

Seddie raised an eyebrow. "Yes... why?"

Cheese narrowed his eyes and looked at Cortland, who kept on holding his hat down and eyeing the alleyways on one side of the street. "Pinkamena, name a colt who'd smell like apples and want to get rid of your father."

Pinkamena blinked curiously, and walked to where Cheese was in order to see what he was seeing. While she did glare at the Apple stallion, she muttered, "Look, I know he's annoying, but he's too much of a coward to be involved in this. I mean, he _knows_ Pa could break him in half. Besides... getting involved in a gang is low, even for him."

Cheese recalled the night when they had dinner at the Apples' house, and how Cortland had pinned him to a tree and threatened him. Either Cortland was blowing hot air, or he really would go to any length to claim Pinkamena as his own. Or in this case, enact revenge on those he felt were responsible for his failure to win over the mare, although it was mind-boggling that he didn't even attempt to do anything to Cheese, especially after that threat.

Still staring at Cortland, who was looking more and more suspicious by the second as he slipped into an alleyway, Cheese whispered, "Can't hurt to see what he's up to. He looks like he's hiding something under that hat."

Pinkamena nodded and turned her aunt. "Do you think you could stay here in case Maud returns? Don't want to confuse her, you know."

Seddie grimaced. "Pinkie... are you sure about that?"

Pinkamena waved her hoof. "Don't worry, a slap from me bruised his cheek. I can handle him in case things go bad. We'll come back once we find out if Cortland had anything to do with Pa's disappearance or not." She turned back to Cheese. "All right, let's go. We can't lose him."

Cheese nodded, and the pair cantered to the alley that Cortland had gone into.


	36. Out of the Frying Pan

Cheese and Pinkamena kept their distance behind Cortland, making sure to hide behind anything that was in the area in case he turned around. They had hidden behind barrels, buildings, bushes, and trees as they kept on following him.

Pinkamena felt odd in practically stalking the colt who had harassed her. She also felt that Cheese was being crazy in accusing him of kidnapping her father. Cortland was an annoying jerk, sure, but committing a crime like that? He'd never risk what positive bits of his reputation were left, and surely the entire Apple family would be very disappointed in him.

She and Cheese zipped from hiding spot to hiding spot, watching Cortland as he headed to his destination. She wanted to quit wasting time following this stallion, and continue their search for her father elsewhere. Still, Cheese seemed determined to find out if the Apple stallion was behind it, and she was not going to leave him alone in case he ended up in a fight. She hoped he wasn't just planning revenge on her behalf.

They had been following him for quite a while, and they were soon on the outskirts of Nickerlite. Cheese and Pinkamena hid behind trees, watching as Cortland strolled to the house closest to one of the hills and not too far from the railroad. The house was rather large, being a big boarding house, a small house that was the feeding area, a carriage house, a shed, and a barn, all connected with each other, and presumably having access to each other from the inside. Near it was a vegetable garden.

Cheese pursed his lips and whispered, "Now why's he going there?"

Pinkamena gave him a half-lidded look. "Borrowing a cup of sugar."

Cheese mirrored her look. "You think you're so funny, don't you?"

Cortland knocked on the door of the main house, and once it was answered, he slipped inside. Once the door shut, Cheese and Pinkamena sped to the house, and then positioned themselves under a window. It must have been hot in there, so the windows had been opened to let the cool evening air in. It also provided them the opportunity to eavesdrop.

"Well, well, well!" the voice of Riffraff bellowed. "Whatcha doing here, Cowboy? Figured out what you want to do with the old stallion?"

A few hoofsteps were made before Cortland replied, "Naw, ol' Iggy can suffer just a mite bit longer before we do him in. Still, we need ta find a way to do so without any proof of who done it mighty fast. Them Pies figured out that he didn't leave on the train and now they're lookin' for him."

Pinkamena gasped. She and Cheese looked at each other, both with a disbelief that Cheese was right to suspect Cortland.

Another colt piped up, "How did they find that out?"

Cortland snorted. "Somepony 'round here forgot to pick up his hat. But Ah'm not here to talk 'bout him." The sound of crinkling paper reached the ears of the two eavesdroppers. "Ah just wondered if Ah could use yer fireplace for burnin' these."

"...uh, why?"

Cortland stomped on the floor. "'Cause they ain't mah letters! If somepony had found 'em, Ah'm in trouble! How would Ah explain what letters from Tomato Sandwich were doing in mah treehouse?"

Pinkamena noticed Cheese stiffen. She turned to him, and she could see that his brow was furrowed, his lips were tight, and his face was red. His breathing was growing rapid and coming out in snorts.

She put a hoof to her lips. "Shh... you can't let them hear you."

"He stole letters from Tommy..." Cheese growled. "For what reason?"

Riffraff coughed. "Well, we don't know where Mr. Green keeps the matches. We know where he keeps his cabbages, but not the matches."

"Well, ya better find 'em before them Pies come knocking," Cortland snarled. "Or that unicorn. Ah don't wanna know what he'd do ta me with his magic once he found out Ah stole those letters his buddy wrote."

"Slim stole them for you!"

"Pfft, as if it matters. All that matters is that Ah don't have to worry about that doggone drifter no more. Shame that Pinkamena took off after him--what's he got that Ah don't got?"

Pinkamena rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath, "Manners. Respect for my family. A sense of humor. The list goes on, you rotten apple..."

Cortland snorted once more. "Ah reckon that driving him outta town was just a slap on the fetlock to him, and ah can't do any worse to him. Just Igneous would have to do."

Pinkamena's blood boiled, and she was highly tempted to just crash through the window and knock the living daylights out of him.

Another voice then said, "But it just won't be as satisfying, will it? I could hardly call the rock-solid Igneous Rock a suitable proxy for the thin Cheese Sandwich."

"'Suitable proxy?'" Cortland replied. "Well, who'd be a better one? That darn unicorn?"

"No, no, no... who better of a proxy than his brother? We _do_ have the address."

Pinkamena noticed Cheese's pupils shrink to pinpricks. There was a moment of silence inside before Cortland answered, "...huh, Ah suppose any Sandwich will do. After we take care of Igneous, let's get Tommy over here. Scribbles, write a letter."

Neither Cheese nor Pinkamena were thinking when they had stood up, jumped to the door, and bucked it open. The group of stallions were shocked as the two jumped Cortland, carried him straight across the room--knocking over furniture and scattering the letters in the process--and pinned him to the wall. Upon seeing Pinkamena, none of the gang members dared go forward to help the Apple stallion, especially since she and her cohort were _furious._

Cheese's snarl was not unlike a wolf's. "Leave... my brother... out of this."

Pinkamena outright snapped, "Now you tell me where my Pa is right now!"

Cortland stared at them in shock. "Huh, wha? What're y'all doin' here?"

Cheese released Cortland, but Pinkamena kept him pinned. "I'm here for my father! Now, where is he?!"

Cortland glared at her. "Why should you care? That doggone stallion ain't done nothin' good for you or this town."

Pinkamena huffed. "Somepony forgot about the parasprite incident. And he may be far from perfect, but Igneous Rock is a far kinder and nobler pony than you are!" She threw him onto the floor, and pinned him down there. "I didn't need you to rescue me from him; I just wanted you to leave me alone. But you didn't, and you just can't handle rejection well, can you? So you think murdering my Pa is the answer? Well, I'm not going to let that happen!"

Cheese looked at a letter on the floor, and quickly picked it up and read it. He slammed his hoof onto the floor. "This is the letter I wrote! I can't believe you'd go so low as to steal it and prevent me from reconnecting with my brother! Especially since I'm now thinking you wrote that crude letter I received." His mane was bristling on all sides. "Was it all just to spite me for 'stealing your mare'?"

"Gee, jumpin' to conclusions, ain't ya?" Cortland growled.

"We overheard you, you ding dong," Pinkamena said. "Now, enough talk--I want my father back, now!"

Cortland shook his head. "Pinkie, Pinkie, Pinkie... even if Ah told you where he is, you'd have a hard time gettin' him out of there. Besides, you wouldn't want yer friend to get hurt now, do ya?"

Cheese blinked. "Hey, wait, wha--hey!" Cheese was grabbed by Riffraff, Slim, Scribbles, and the other thugs, with some latching onto one front leg, some holding the other, and Riffraff holding him from behind. Cheese held a look of shock for a moment as he looked between the crooks, before scowling in annoyance.

Riffraff chuckled. "We didn't get to have proper fun times, Toothpick."

Still pinning Cortland down, Pinkamena turned her head and grimaced. She knew that releasing Cortland and pounding the thugs senseless would just provide an opportunity for the rotten Apple to escape with the time provided, but she didn't want Cheese to get hurt either. She just prayed that he learned a thing or two from his time at the rock farm.

Cheese merely raised an eyebrow, and noting that they didn't grab his tail, he started making use of it by tickling Riffraff behind him and cooing, "Cootchie cootchie coo! A-cootchie-cootchie-coo!"

Riffraff jumped. "H-Hey! Ha ha ha! Quit it! Ahahahaha! You son of a--pff-bahaha HA HA HA!" He ended up releasing Cheese, stumbling backwards, and tripping over a upturned table. With a growl, he yelled, "Somepony grab his tail!"

The ponies closest to Cheese lunged their heads in order to try to take hold of the tail, but the tail was a swift dodger, and the pair bonked heads. While they were dazed, they ended up receiving a good tickle. The one on Cheese's left had a ticklish belly, and laughed so hard he was rolling on the floor. The one on his right was ticklish on the belly as well, and was swiftly tripped once he let go. When only those holding his forelegs were left, he simply plopped down on his haunches, throwing the others off balance and making them stumble to the floor. He slipped his forelegs out of theirs and stood up.

Riffraff tried to jump him from behind, to which Cheese responded with a buck to the face. He ducked when another pony tried to jump him, making said pony crash into those that were getting up. Scribbles had finally managed to snag Cheese's tail, and Cheese tried to kick him off. However, much to his dismay, Scribbles's teeth only clamped down harder.

Pinkamena turned around, switching from a front hoof to a back hoof to pin Cortland down, picked up a chair, and threw it at Scribbles. The impact not only shattered the chair, but startled the thug enough for him to release the tail.

Cheese noticed a rather large stallion barreling toward him, and leapt over him, causing said stallion to bump Scribbles into the kitchen with a crash. Mere seconds later, Scribbles announced, "I found the matches!"

The big stallion turned, and snorted at Cheese. The latter colt only smirked, and cooed, "Come here, Tiny, I have a special treat for you!"

"Tiny" pawed at the ground, still snorting out hot air, and then let out a roar. The stallion broke into a hard gallop, his vision red and his sights set on that head of curls and the big glasses. He was foaming at the mouth, wanting to kill that little smart-alecky--

_CRASH!_

_Crumble!_

_Crack!_

Cheese had stepped aside and let "Tiny" crash into the fireplace, where he was promptly knocked out and rained on by the mantle and its pictures, knick-knacks and ornaments. Cheese blinked at he sight, and then turned to grin at Pinkamena.

Pinkamena grimaced. "Cheese, you do realize that we'd have to pay the owner of this house for damages once he gets back, right?"

Cheese's smile fell into a frown. "Oh."

Pinkamena noticed the thugs getting up, along with Scribbles walking out of the kitchen, matches in his mouth. She held out a hoof. "Okay, tag me in, and you hold Cortland down."

Cheese shrugged. "Okey-dokey." He walked toward her, bumped her hoof, and then sat on Cortland as she leapt forward.

The first thing Pinkamena did was buck Scribbles out the window, making him drop the matches and sending him flying out the window with the shattering of glass. She winced, and muttered to herself about how she was such a hypocrite. Still, she turned to the rest and announced, "All right, we're taking this outside, and if I'm going to have to buck you all out, then so be it!"

She chased the thugs out, much to many complaints and screams, and when Riffraff refused to budge, she slid to him, pushed him across the floor all the way to the door, and then punched him out. From there, she jumped out, leaving Cheese and Cortland alone in the house.

Cheese leaned against the wall. "Nice to have some peace and quiet."

Cortland snorted. "Yer so funny, ain't ya? Thinkin' you can just waltz into town and steal mah mare?"

"Okay, she was never your mare! She's flat out rejected you time and time again. Why can't you just take 'no' for an answer?"

"Ah thought she was playing hard to get."

"Hard to get? _Hard to get?_" Cheese could not believe what he was hearing. "Okay, you've said that before, and I'm saying now that that's a terrible excuse! Pfft, hard to get, my hoof! There's being persistent, and then there's outright harassment."

Cortland slammed a hoof on the floor. "Ah was not harassin' her!"

Cheese raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really? Flanking her just to brag about yourself and only compliment how pink and curvy she is? Ignoring the fact that she doesn't even like you? Perceiving me as a threat to your so-called 'prize'? Getting the town to root for you and pressure her, and then kissing her without her consent? Is it any surprise that she smacked you in the face?"

Cortland growled. "Shut up."

Cheese narrowed his eyes. "And the way you just threw a hissy fit over your 'loss'... I honestly find that pathetic."

"Shut up; yer the one who's pathetic!"

"Really now? At least my pathetic hissy fits didn't involve sabotaging a family reunion, forging a letter that contributed to somepony getting fired, or kidnapping somepony and plotting to murder them. Heck, you even threatened my brother, who had absolutely nothing to do with this mess! Seriously, how is any of that going to help you in the long run?"

Cortland was now snorting. "As long as you lose, Ah win!"

"Puh, as if. Your victory is going to be nothing but hollow. Your family would be so disappointed in you."

It was then that Cortland leapt up with a roar and threw Cheese off of him. He turned and almost immediately after Cheese hit the floor, he pounced on him and caught him in a chokehold. As Cheese gasped and struggled, Cortland hissed, "What do you even know 'bout family, you coward?!"

Cheese bit Cortland on the foreleg. Cortland jerked his leg away, and Cheese took the opportunity to escape. He turned around, and replied, "That they're supposed to look out for each other and keep each other from doing something stupid! Not to mention older siblings are supposed to set a good example for their younger siblings."

Cortland galloped forward, intending to headbutt Cheese into the wall. However, Cheese grabbed his head just in the nick of time. Cheese continued, "You are doing something stupid! If Stayman and Idared knew you were doing this, what would they think?"

Cortland snarled and punched Cheese in the gut. "What does Tomato think 'bout you abandonin' him?"

Cheese fell to the floor and curled up, clutching his gut and breathing through his teeth. He felt Cortland's hoof on his head, pinning him down and feeling a constant sharp pain on his head. Glancing up at the Apple, who looked ready to murder him on the spot, Cheese thought about his brother. He thought about the one letter he received from him, and how it expressed a desire for them to be close again. He thought about the Pie sisters, and how close they were. And he thought about Sedimentary Rock, who despite not seeing her brother Igneous in years out of shame, she accompanied them to locate and rescue him without a second thought.

He looked at the front leg that was not pinning him down. "You know what? I don't think he holds it against me." Managing to shift himself enough to aim, he shot out his hind legs and nailed Cortland's front leg, making said pony howl in pain, and release him in order to hold the injured limb. Cheese scooted out of Cortland's reach before standing back up. Panting, he added, "Now that I think of it, I'm disappointed that I missed watching him grow up."

Cortland looked up at him and snorted. "Yer sure an awful brother."

Cheese narrowed his eyes. "Says the colt who needs to clean up his act so that his siblings don't copy him."

"Oh, yer gonna get it now!"

Cheese took a defensive stance. "Bring it on."

* * *

While they were initially reluctant to fight her, that fact that she had pretty much kicked them out of where they were living was enough to anger them. They ended up deciding that with their numbers, they could take her. The fact that they all kept on jumping onto her all at once was very annoying.

"Why are there so many of you?!" she said, bucking them off after what seemed like the fifteenth time. They tried hopping onto her again, this time one by one, only for her to grab one in midair, toss him into another, grab another in midair, and toss him into another. The same old rinse and repeat, and she was getting tired of them doing nothing but jump on her.

However, one managed to buck her and make her stumble from being startled, only for her to grab his tail and toss him into a tree. She glared at him. "Oh, now you try something different."

That was when the gang decided to pick up pebbles and dirt clods, as well as cabbages from the nearby garden, and started to throw them at her. She backed up as she was pelted, with the produce and dirt clods shattering upon impact with her, and the pebbles stung with each hit. Some dirt and cabbages even got into her mouth, and she could already feel bruises forming from the rocks. She looked around for a way to make them stop, and she spotted a boulder.

They stopped once she picked it up and chucked it at them, making them shriek and scatter.

"Yeah, that's right! I could throw bigger at you if I wanted!"

She paused for a moment, hoping to catch her breath. She looked at the house, wondering if her father was somewhere in there or in any of the buildings connected to it. If he was in one of them, where would he be? In one of the boarding rooms? In the kitchen? In the carriage house? In the barn? And she was worried about Cheese, given the crashing she was hearing in the house.

She noticed the thugs getting ready to jump her... only to be jumped by her mother, sisters, and aunt in succession, and wrestled to the ground. She blinked at the sight of them, and only watched them as they wrestled.

"I knew you thugs were up to no good!" Limestone shouted.

"Tell us where Papa is!" Marble yelled.

Maud had easily knocked out Riffraff. "That's why you don't mess with a Pie."

All the while, Sedimentary was enjoying her ride on a bucking bronco, hooting and hollering as the thug tried to kick her off. Still laughing, she waved to Pinkamena and shouted, "Hey! I like your sisters! I'm proud to be their aunt!"

Pinkamena giggled and shook her head. Her aunt was crazy. She couldn't wait to see the reunion between her and her brother, especially Igneous' reaction to just how kooky she turned out to be. She looked at her sisters, and smiled, happy that she got backup.

Cloudy tossed her thug into a tree, and then she ran toward Pinkamena. She caught her daughter off guard with a hug, which the younger mare easily returned.

Cloudy held her close. "I'm so glad you're alright..." Then she broke the hug and glared at her. "Now don't you run off like that again! Celestia knows what could have happened to you!"

Pinkamena sighed. "I know, Ma, I know--but let's discuss it later. I have a gut feeling Pa's somewhere in that house."

Cloudy looked at the house, flinching at the crashing. "Is that him?"

"Uh, no, that's Cheese and Cortland fighting, I'm guessing."

"Well, you better go help Cheese and fast," Cloudy noticed some other thugs coming for her, growling in a very unfriendly manner. "And look for your Pa while you're at it!"

Pinkamena nodded, and dashed into the house. Cloudy turned around, and snarled at the thugs, "You better watch out. You'll be a picnic compared to Diamond Dogs."

* * *

Cheese was smacked into the shattered fireplace, and was not thrilled to have splinters from the mantle in his back. He laid there for a moment, cracking his eye open to see the mess that Cortland was.

With his hat gone and covered in bruises and scrapes, Cortland looked like a monster, especially since the look on his face was not one of mercy.

Cortland turned a reeled for another buck to the face. "Ah'll teach you some manners!"

Cheese scrambled out of the way, with only some of his hair caught in the buck and plucked off. He slid under his opponent, tripping him in the process. Cortland landed on the floor with a thud, and cried out, unfortunately landing on the side of the leg that Cheese had bucked earlier.

Cheese shakily got back to his hooves, breathing heavily. He wiped his mouth, and felt his eye, hoping that it hadn't been blackened. His glasses now had more cracks in it, and he was now just aching all over. He was thankful that he didn't take any hits that would have broken any bones.

Of course, a stomp of the hoof from behind told him that Cortland was getting up, and he groaned, just wanting this fight to be over. Though the Apple stallion had lost use of one leg, he still could attack with the three others. He slowly turned around, ready to defend himself from the attacks he knew were coming.

Much to his surprise, as Cortland reared up for another attack, Pinkamena came through the door like lightning, and slammed Cortland into the wall. He fell onto the floor in a daze.

Cheese gaped at the fallen stallion, and then turned to a panting Pinkamena. Pursing his lips, he said, "...well, then. You took care of those thugs fast."

Pinkamena brushed some of her hair out of her face. "Actually, we have backup. Ma, Aunt Seddie, my sisters."

"Oh." Cheese nodded. "Oh, okay then. Still, I'm not sure how much longer I would have survived."

Pinkamena giggled. "Well, you held your ground decently." Her brow furrowed as her demeanor grew serious. "Now, let's go find Pa. I have a feeling he's around here somewhere."

Cheese nodded, and they both dashed upstairs to check every room and every segment of the connected farm for him.

Meanwhile, Cortland snapped out of his daze, and he was still angry. Angry that Cheese didn't go down so easily. Angry that Pinkamena had the gall to intervene. Angry that now everything was falling to pieces.

As he started to get up, he spotted the matches.


	37. And Into the Fire

So, Cheese and Pinkamena went through the house, looking in room after room for Igneous. So far, they only came across various empty bedrooms, ranging from those with clean floors and well-made beds to indoor dumpsters. One room smelled so bad that Cheese had nearly fainted, and another, to their surprise, was filled with petals and smelled like roses. Igneous was in neither of those rooms, so they kept on looking.

Pinkamena looked in yet another room and groaned. It was yet another bedroom, one that hadn't been cleaned in a long time. She slammed it and turned to Cheese, who had opened a door as well. He yelped and recoiled in horror before slamming the door.

"What is it?" she asked.

He turned to her. "One of those guys owns a snake!"

Pinkamena pursed her lips. "Well then..." She set her sights on the door at the end of the hall and headed toward it. "All right, let's check that door before we check another area."

Cheese nodded and followed her. Having looked in room after room on two floors had been a little discouraging, but they only covered half the farm. Finding Igneous was their top priority, and they were not going to give up on it any time soon.

Pinkamena opened that door and found that it led to the barn's loft. They gazed in, scanning the space. The walls were dry and wooden, the smell was of hay and dust, and there was hay in the loft, and mountains of vegetables and bags of flour and other grains on the ground floor, lying upon a fair amount of straw. There was variety, but Cheese was focused on the one pile of cabbages, which towered above the rest.

"That's... a lot of cabbages," Cheese commented.

A raspy voice coughed. "Who's there?"

They turned their heads to face the far right corner, where a blindfolded figure sat. His fur was covered in dirt, his mane was matted, and his head bore a scar upon the crown. He looked exhausted, and held a grimace that told them he was sick.

But there was no doubt about it. They had found Igneous Rock.

Pinkamena stared for a moment, and let her eyes grow misty. She smiled and broke into a run, jumping over a couple of hay bales and exclaiming, "Pa!"

Igneous' ears twitched, and his muzzle pointed to where he heard the voice. He was startled by a sudden embrace, but his expression softened as he nuzzled his daughter. Cheese only looked on happily, taking in the warm reunion between father and daughter.

Igneous sighed in relief. "I can't believe you came back, Pinkamena."

"I know, Papa... I know. I had to once I heard you were missing."

"How'd you know I was missing? I was attacked in the dead of night, waiting for a train."

"Oh, they forgot to pick up your hat. Bluejinx found it, told Ma and my sisters, and then Maud passed it on to me once she ran into me. She, uh... took the train to see if you were all right."

"Oh, I was afraid they wouldn't know until it was too late. But it doesn't matter now, I'm so glad you came back."

Pinkamena broke the hug and slipped the blindfold off. Igneous blinked to let his eyes adjust to the light and looked around. He caught sight of Cheese, who sheepishly waved at him. "Oh... I see he came back too."

Pinkamena sighed. "Pa, just let me explain the whole thing about the letter--"

"It was forged. I know, I figured it out when I found that paint pony's smell matched the letter." Igneous shook his head. "They sure did take me for a fool. Fired a good pony because I was afraid of losing you to somepony who only wanted to use you." He turned to Cheese. "It's okay to come closer, boy!"

Cheese timidly walked toward him, stepping around the hay bales. Scooting between a couple had him accidentally knocking one aside, where an old railing could not fight the bale's weight and thus snapped. With his head down--and a grimace from the damage he just caused--he shuffled to the older stallion, as close to the wall as he could be, and brushed his hoof against the ground, focusing on a hole in the floorboards.

"Look me in the eye," Igneous said.

Cheese looked up, with a face asking for mercy.

Igneous sighed. "Look, Cheese, this predicament doesn't change the fact that you disobeyed me. I let you go, and you had all the freedom to just move on to the next town, forgetting all that has happened in this town and all about your employment here. I wouldn't be surprised if you resented me for firing you. So, I have to ask... why did you come back?"

Cheese was silent, glancing around the barn in search of the answer. He squeezed his eyes shut, and said softly, "I... I guess Pinkamena's not the only thing I fell in love with these past few months."

"Don't call my daughter a thing."

"Oh, sorry... but in all honesty, I think I just ended up loving all of you. I mean, it's kind of crazy, I was starting to think of you as my father, Cloudy as my mother, and your daughters as my sisters... except Pinkamena, I mean, I kind of fell in love with her, as in romantic love, but you already knew that..." Cheese nervously looked at Pinkamena, who held a raised eyebrow during his mutterings.

"I get it, Cheese, I get it. But, I think you should try again with your brother, with that letter I found being a fake."

Cheese nodded. "Yeah... maybe I should."

Igneous then smiled at him. "You're a good colt. I'm glad that we've gotten to know you."

Cheese blinked at the sight of Igneous smiling, and smiled back. "Thank you."

Pinkamena smiled as well, but then frowned when she realized that Igneous wasn't tied up. "Um, Pa? How'd they keep you up here for all this time?"

Igneous groaned. "I pulled a muscle, they put tar on my back, and they stuck me to the wall. You two mind pulling me off?"

Cheese winced. "Won't that hurt?"

"It's a risk I'm willing to take to see my family again." Igneous shook his head. "Nopony's going to believe me when I tell them Cortland's behind this. I swear, that Apple seriously needs to be punished... he's out of his mind!"

Cheese and Pinkamena nodded, and started digging at some of the tar between his back and the wall. They scooped out bit by bit, piece by piece, and were just whittling down the tar so that it'd be easier to remove Igneous with minimal damage. Both were annoyed at how sticky the tar was and how hard they had to wipe their hooves on the floor to get it off, but the effort was going to be worth freeing Igneous.

Pinkamena stopped and sniffed the air. "...huh? Why do I smell smoke?"

She stood up and walked to the old railing, where she looked down at the food being stored. Much to her horror, a fire had started on one of the bags of flour, and was quickly spreading to some of the other bags and the straw. With a gasp, she turned back around and started digging faster.

"Whoa! Ow, ow, OW!" Igneous growled. "What's going on, Pinkamena?"

"Fire! And it's spreading fast! We need to get you out quick!"

Hearing that, as well as the increasing crackling of the fire, Cheese also dug faster, and Igneous gritted his teeth as his back screamed in agony. He wished that speed didn't mean that they had to be so rough, but he had to bear it if he wanted to escape the fire.

Pinkamena stopped digging and looked over the railing again. The fire had grown, and she could already feel the heat coming from it. With a grimace, she announced, "Okay, Cheese, that's enough! Let's pull him off the wall now!" She grabbed her father by the shoulder and started to pull, and Cheese did the same with the other shoulder.

"AUGH!" Igneous cried. "For goodness' sake, you'll dislocate my shoulder!"

"It's either that or death by fire, Pa!" Pinkamena snapped.

She and Cheese pulled and pulled, tugging with every ounce of strength that they had. They were beginning to sweat as the heat rose, and the smoke was hitting the ceiling. They grew more and more panicked as the fire progressed, and already a few coughs had been sputtered.

Finally, Igneous popped off the wall, and the sudden release made Cheese stumble into the adjacent wall, while Pinkamena stumbled to the railing. The railing snapped under her weight, and she began to fall toward the flames. However, neither Cheese nor Igneous were having that, so both leapt forward--the latter with his good leg, though the injured leg still hurt--and managed to grab her back legs before she got too far.

However, in the action, Cheese's glasses flew off and fell into the fire. Even worse, he heard Pinkamena cry out in pain, and his blurry vision was unable to tell him what exactly happened. Did they break something? Did she hit her head? Did she get burned?

He and Igneous pulled Pinkamena back up into the loft, and Cheese asked, "Pinkie, what happened? How bad is it?"

Pinkamena breathed through her teeth. "Fell off... foreleg... caught fire... pain... pain... pain!"

"And it doesn't look so good," Igneous said. "You better keep weight off that leg just to be safe."

Upon hearing this, Cheese took off his poncho, ripped it in half, and then gave the pieces to Igneous. He sat there as Igneous presumably wrapped Pinkamena's leg, while thinking about how lost he felt without his glasses. Last time, he was useless in the Diamond Dog fight until Cloudy found his glasses; now he was in a fire, had no way to retrieve his glasses, and it was getting hotter by the second. He coughed, his vision only full of bright orange and yellow.

_Well, I guess we're going to die here._

Igneous grunted as he finished wrapping and raising Pinkamena's front leg with the rent garment. "All right, that'll do." He glanced at the flames and murmured, "Now, listen carefully, Pinkamena. I want you to lead Cheese and me out of here." He grabbed Cheese and dragged him over. "And Cheese, you are going to latch onto Pinkamena's tail while carrying me."

Cheese jumped. "_I_ have to carry you? But she--"

"I don't want to hear any excuses. Her carrying me on three legs will throw her off balance. All your legs are in good shape, and your time at the rock farm should have built your strength up enough to carry a stallion my size." Igneous paused to cough and wipe his forehead. "We don't have time for arguments, let's just get out of here!"

Cheese nodded, stood up, and bent down to allow Igneous to climb on. While he was a little winded from Igneous' weight, he found that he was supporting it quite well. He was tickled on the nose by some hair from Pinkamena's tail, and he clamped onto it with his mouth.

Igneous glanced at the railing. "Fire's getting ready to jump onto the loft, let's go!"

Pinkamena moved forward, pulling Cheese and Igneous with her. With one front leg marching forward and the other wrapped up and still feeling like it was on fire, she headed to the door leading into the main house. Once Cheese was fully in, he used his hind leg to shut the door behind him, and breathe a sigh of relief.

Still holding on to Pinkamena's tail, his talking was muffled. "M'kay, weega outta da day-truss par. Should be swoo say-wing fom--"

Pinkamena stopped suddenly and gasped. "Oh, no..."

"What?"

"I'm at the stairs... and I'm telling you now that downstairs is on fire too."

_"What?!"_

Igneous shifted on his back and said, "And our buddy from the loft is following us."

Pinkamena turned to look behind her and Cheese, and the fire had crept under the door to the loft, and was igniting the floorboards. She looked between those flames, and the fire that was burning on the lower floor. Her foreleg hurt just looking at the fire, and within her arose a sense of panic and the urge to cough.

* * *

Cloudy knew something wasn't right when she smelled smoke and heard crackling from the house. But when she had turned her head to face it, she couldn't bring herself to believe it.

The house was on fire.

Cloudy's daughters and sister-in-law stopped fighting with the thugs, who were shocked at the sight of the boarding house burning. They all stood there, gawking at the brilliant oranges and yellows that were engulfing the house.

Seddie appeared on Cloudy's right. "How did that happen?"

Cloudy gazed at the fire fearfully. "I don't know--but Pinkamena went in there! Cheese is there with her, and we don't know if Igneous is there or not!"

"Well, we need to put it out! Unfortunately, we'd have to enlist the whole town to--"

They heard the ringing of a bell, and turned to find Maud at the neighboring schoolhouse, having run there faster than thought possible and climbed it just to ring the bell. The thugs blinked in astonishment, while Marble and Limestone just glanced at each other and nodded.

From her perch, Maud could see the townspeople shuffling out of their homes, wondering what the ruckus was about. She could see pony upon pony headed toward the schoolhouse, to see what emergency there was. All the while she kept glancing at the connected farm, still burning with her sister, their former employee, and very possibly her father inside.

She also saw a figure limping away from the house, and narrowed her eyes at it. There had been one other pony inside, and she had a feeling that he started the fire.

She would have to track him down and confront him about this after the fire was taken care of. For now, there were confused townsponies gathered, staring in horror at the fire. Maud jumped down from her perch, and tilted her head toward the house. Of course, in the front of the crowd, Bluejinx stepped forward.

"Maud! What's going on? Why is that house on fire?!"

She simply answered, "Cortland," and then zoomed back to the house.

Bluejinx blinked, and shouted, "Expand on that, please!"

Purple Prose put a hoof on Bluejinx's shoulder and said, "Dear nephew, it looks like the answers will have to wait... as well as our fliers. I think she wants our help putting out that fire."

One pony piped up, "Well, why do the Pies care? That's not their house on fire!"

Lemon Drop and Sugar Glider, holding their little foal, stepped forward from the crowd, the former saying, "Does it matter? We should just work on putting it out! That's what they're doing with that sand throwing over there!"

His wife took to the air. "We have pegasi in our midst! We can grab some of those spare clouds!"

Purple called up, "That's a great idea, Sugar! But you might want to leave Butterscotch with a sitter!"

"Hey!" somepony else shouted. "What about us earth ponies and unicorns?"

Bluejinx huffed. "We'll get water from any source possible. Personal wells, the river over the hill, anywhere! Anything to put out that fire!"

One pony sat down and crossed his front legs. "How do we know the Pies didn't start it?"

He was suddenly accosted by an angry Sedimentary Rock, who yelled, "Maybe instead of just whining about them, you help them put out this fire because there are ponies in there!" She snorted. "Sheesh! You townsponies are still stupid, just like thirty years ago! Stop questioning what my sister-in-law and nieces are doing here, and haul your buttocks to work!"

The pony blinked. "Sister-in-law? Wait... Sedimentary Rock?"

"Yes, now move it!"

The pony jumped up, and the townsfolk started cantering toward the fire. They murmured between each other about the hows and whys of this fire, and worriedly wondering who was going to tell Mr. Green about this when he returned from his family trip.

* * *

Pinkamena hated how tentative she had to be while descending the stairs. With one leg out of commission, one false step could send her, Cheese, and Igneous tumbling down, possibly breaking a bone, if not sliding headfirst into some flames. She wished that there was a safer way out--but unfortunately, all the exits were downstairs, and the windows were not big enough for them to fit through. So, here she was, leading a pony who was practically blind carrying a crippled stallion down the stairs, slower than any of them would like.

The air got hotter as she drew closer to the bottom, and her lungs were starting to burn. She could hear her father coughing behind her, and she was feeling sick to her stomach. Cheese's breathing was becoming raspy as well, and she was growing more and more worried as they descended.

She reached the bottom of the stairs, only for Cheese to trip and crash into her. He had released her tail, and then started a coughing fit, only to be interrupted by Pinkamena jumping up and shouting out "OW!" She looked at the tip of her muzzle, having been burned by a flame on the floor, and groaned. Cheese shook his head, mumbled an apology, and latched onto her tail again.

Pinkamena looked ahead, and gulped at the sight of the flames licking the walls and the smoke above them. "Come on, we gotta be quick."

She pressed forward, stepping around every flame that was on the floor, while Cheese behind her chanted, "Hot, hot, hot, hot, hot!" She cringed upon remembering that he couldn't spot the flames on the floor like she can, and hoped that he didn't get too burned.

She kept on going through the hall, raspy coughs coming out of her mouth. Cheese was suppressing his coughs, forcing himself to bear the irritation and burning in his throat lest he release Pinkamena's tail and lose her. Igneous clung on tightly to Cheese's neck with one hoof, and covering his mouth with the other, wheezing from the bad air.

When they made their way to the front room, the smoke was thick and dark. All three of them squeezed their eyes shut in response, and all air passageways in their bodies were stinging worse than a dozen bee stings.

"Kitchen..." Pinkamena coughed some more. "...kitchen door..."

Igneous had a coughing fit in response. "...hurry!"

Pinkamena reared up and felt the walls, and scooted as much as she could against them. She could feel the flames licking her foreleg, and her sling was feeling hot. The foreleg in the sling was in searing agony. But all she was thinking about was the kitchen door and the two stallions with her. Were they feeling every lash of those burning whips like she was? How bad were their burns? How long would be until they would pass out from all the smoke?

She found the open space, and led Cheese through it. She cracked her eyes open, and nearly recoiled from the brightness of the flames. Black smoke was on the ceiling, and all tables and chairs inside were ablaze. However, she was elated at the sight of the kitchen door, leading to the outside.

She heard a _thump_ behind her, and snapped her head around to find Cheese scrambling to put an unconscious Igneous back on his back.

Cheese was growing more panicky and coughing violently. "Pinkamena! He passed out!"

"Don't worry! We're almost there!" Pinkamena jumped to his side and helped him pick up Igneous. Once they had him, she took her hoof out of her sling and took his, and they walked toward the door together. Pinkamena gazed at it hopefully, chanting, "Almost there... almost there... almost there..."

Suddenly, the ceiling collapsed just in front of them, and it blocked their exit, as well as crushing the window beside it. Pinkamena screamed in frustration, and then went into another coughing fit.

"Pinkamena, Pinkamena!" Cheese said. "Calm down!"

Pinkamena coughed some more, sat on the floor, and let tears fall from her eyes. "The exit... it collapsed and now we're trapped... I'm so sorry..."

Cheese, still holding Igneous, shook his head. "No, Pinkamena, we still have the carriage house... hopefully that exit's open." He put a hoof to her face. "Don't give up... we can beat this thing together... and I'm sure the others are working on putting out this fire."

"But... but they'll find us charred and smoking and most of all DEAD!"

"Don't give up so easily." Cheese leaned forward and gave her a peck on the lips. "Come on, Pinkie... you can't give up until we give the carriage house a try. Okay?"

Pinkie looked up at him. She would have nodded, but remembering his eyesight, she stood up and muttered, "Okay." She coughed some more, and winced at the burning her haunches took during her sit. She regained her place under her father's unconscious form. "All right, to the carriage house!"

Still holding Cheese's hoof, she trotted through the rest of the kitchen with him by her side and Igneous on their backs, and kicked open a door at the end. They came into a house with a dirt floor, and was filled with cart after cart after spare cart. All were on fire, but it was nothing compared to the rest of the farm.

They trotted through the burning carts, dodging each one, and widening spaces that were too small for them to squeeze through. While they could still feel where they had been burned in some places, they did not slow down, as they went as fast as they could to the exit without dropping Igneous. This was their last chance at escaping, and they were going to take it.

They stopped upon coming across a large door, which, much to their chagrin, was locked.

Pinkamena cracked her neck. "All right, we're going to have to knock this thing down."

Cheese set Igneous down on the cool dirt floor, trying to catch his breath in the relatively cleaner air. "Eh, but what about paying damages?"

Pinkamena put a hoof to her face. "This farm is on fire. Knocking down the door is the least of our problems." She exhaled, turned to buck at the door, and then muttered, "Anyway, knocking it down should be a piece of... cake!" She launched her hind legs at the door, expecting the door to fall down with a _thud_. However, much to her surprise, it barely budged.

"Huh?" She bucked again, and it didn't fall down. She bucked a third time, and her front legs just buckled under her, and the searing pain coursed through her body. She looked at the door, and murmured, "But... but... I break rocks with those hooves! Why can't I bust open a door?!"

Cheese frowned. "Pinkie... I think the smoke's making us weak."

Pinkamena's eyes widened and she shakily got back to her hooves. "No! No! No!" She bucked at the door again. "Fall down you stupid door!" She bucked at it again. "Fall! Down!" She bucked at it again, and once again she fell on her face, leaving a stinging sensation throughout her. Her stomach stirred, and she heaved, with the only thing coming out being soot-colored saliva.

She shakily got back to her hooves and looked up. The fires had gotten bigger, and there was more smoke in the room. She attempted to buck again. "Cheese... help!"

Cheese squinted his eyes, walked to the door, felt it, and turned to buck at it. The door didn't budge.

Pinkamena growled. "On three! One... two... three!

_Bang!_

The door budged more than it did with either alone, but it was not enough.

Pinkamena snorted. "Again!"

_Bang!_

Pinkamena looked at the smoke filling the room, and and her lungs burned at the thought of breathing in some more of that. "Again!"

_Bang!_

She coughed and heaved once more, but still ordered, "Again!"

_Bang!_

Both she and Cheese were coughing, and growing weaker with each buck. Try as they might, the door budged less and less, and they fell on their faces more and more. Pinkamena's face was burning, her throat and lungs screamed for relief, and her legs were aching. She kept on having dry heaves, and tears were just flowing out of her eyes.

After one last buck, Cheese had a coughing fit, and then collapsed in a heap.

Pinkamena gasped, and jumped to where he laid. She picked up his head and neck, and cried, "Cheese! No, don't you pass out on me now!" She shook him, but he did not respond. She coughed some more and wiped her mouth. "Come on! Wake up! Wake up!"

She looked at the burning carts, and the smoke swirling around the room. In a panic, she jumped on the door, and just banged at it with her front hoof, ignoring how much pain she was in.

"Somepony help us! Please, somepony, anypony!" She banged on the door some more, sobbing as she turned to look at the unconscious stallions on the floor. She banged as hard as she could, not caring if she popped any blisters she had received. "Mama! Maud! Marble! Limestone! Aunt Seddie! Somepony! Anypony!"

She coughed and heaved, the smoke choking her once more. The banging on the door steadily grew weaker and weaker, and her hope of rescue dwindled. She crumpled on the floor, still weakly smacking the door. She thought she was hearing voices, but her head was hurting too much to think about it.

"Please..." she whispered. "...help..."

* * *

Limestone had been passing by with a bucket of water when she heard the banging from the carriage house. When she first heard it, she turned to the door, and wondered if she was hearing things. Once she heard more banging and the muffled sound of Pinkamena's voice, she gasped and turned to her sisters just coming down from the hill with their own buckets.

"Maud! Marble!" she hollered. "I think I found Pinkamena!"

The two gray mares glanced at each other, set down their buckets, and then ran down the hill. They stopped short of crashing into Limestone, who pointed at the carriage house's large door.

"I heard her in there! I think she was crying for help or something." Limestone started searching for the lock. "Come on, help me open this thing!"

Maud's brow furrowed, and she reared up, reeled her front leg, and punched the door into splinters. What came out was a lot of smoke, which took them aback and had them suddenly sputtering into coughing fits. However, once the smoke cleared enough to see, they gasped at the sight of those inside.

"Oh, my goodness! Pa!" Marble said, jumping in and picking him up.

"There's Cheese, too!" Limestone hopped in, picked him up, and then she and Marble hopped out.

Maud silently picked up Pinkamena, and carried her out as well.

Once the sisters had carried their rescuees away from the fire to some soft, clean grass, they started checking for any signs of life from the stallions, while Maud tried to keep an ill Pinkamena awake. She looked into her dull, blue eyes. Sitting down on the grass, she noticed Pinkamena looking at her. Her face was stoic, but her voice was shaking as she said, "Pinkie... Pinkie... it's me, your big sister..."

Pinkamena slowly blinked. "Ma... Maud?"

Maud nodded slowly, her eyes growing misty. Pinkamena croaked and tried to move, but suddenly went limp as she passed out. Maud closed her eyes, her face unchanging, but not fighting the tear trickling down her cheek.

Marble hollered, "Ma! Ma! Ma, get over here!"

The sound of hoofbeats signalled Cloudy Quartz hearing Marble, and soon enough she was there, along with Aunt Seddie. They both gasped at the sight of the burnt bodies of Igneous Rock, Cheese Sandwich, and Pinkamena Pie. Cloudy crouched down over Igneous, shock evident on her face, and had a hesitant hoof over him. Seddie was beside her, wanting to stroke her brother's face, but also unwilling to touch him in fear of worsening the injuries.

Seddie looked up. "Are... are they dead?"

"I, uh..." Limestone answered. "No?"

"Well, get the town doctor over here!" Cloudy snapped.

Marble jumped up. "I'll go! I'm not holding anypony!" With that, she sped off.

It wasn't long before she returned with the town doctor, who was a unicorn. Panting, she said, "Well, turns out he's the midwife's husband."

"Oh, well..." the doctor said. "What seems to be the problem here?"

Cloudy glared at him. "They're unconscious! Do something!"

The doctor took a step back. "Calm down, calm down... let me take a look."

The girls complied and moved out of the way so that he could study them. It wasn't long after scanning them up and down and listening for any unusual sounds that he announced, "From the look of things--and, well, the fact that there's a fire--it's clear to me that their biggest problem is that they have inhaled too much smoke. I better cast a breath spell on them."

He tilted his head forward and let a white magic aura envelop his horn. Not five seconds later, the heads of Igneous, Pinkamena, and Cheese were wrapped in that same aura, their mouths forced open and the sounds of breathing heard from them.

The doctor straightened up and smiled. "All right, then, that spell shall make it easier for them to breathe." His smile fell into a grim frown. "But it's only temporary. My advice is to rush them to the nearest hospital before the spell wears off. Luckily, Ponyville's less than an hour away."

Cloudy nodded. "Right." She turned to Seddie. "Come on, let's go right now. The rest of the town can take care of the fire."

* * *

Cortland limped away from the house as it burned, chuckling to himself about how he had managed to trap them, by striking both the front room and the barn. He was expecting satisfaction in finally having gotten rid of Igneous Rock and Cheese Sandwich.

However, he also felt a little sad that Pinkamena had to go as well. Not to mention terror at the prospect of somepony finding out from those thugs that he was involved with the whole ordeal. And anger at having to run away because his life had just fallen apart.

"Ah swear, if it hadn't been for them two dumb stallions, Ah'd still be comfortably at home, livin' mah life as it should be... argh, doggone hobos always ruin everythang."

He was crossing the river, using the railroad as a bridge. While he noticed ponies going to the river to fetch water--most likely to put out the fire, he figured that they were too focused on their job to care. Not to mention it was dark enough that they couldn't recognize him.

"Ah'll start a new life," he mumbled. "Build mah own town. Make it successful so Ah'll be famous. Yeah, the name of Cheese Sandwich will fade 'way, while Cortland Apple will be remembered for gener--"

His hind leg fell through a gap between the railroad ties, much to his discomfort. With a groan, he tried to pull it out. When it didn't slip out, he started to panic, and tug wildly, making sharp pains run through his ankles and fetlocks, all the way up to his haunches. He looked at the ponies at the river, considering asking for help, but then realized that they'd ask questions. Besides, he could free himself, couldn't he?

He heard a train whistle, and he snapped his head to a light that was coming toward him. He tugged some more, to no avail, and his heart rapidly pounded as the train drew closer and closer. It looked like a monster as it approached, and seemed to roar at him and open up jaws of sharp teeth, promising him a trip to Tartarus.

The ponies at the river witnessed a gruesome scene that night.


	38. A Breath of Fresh Air

The ponies of Nickerlite were now on their knees, taking deep breaths of relief, while also coughing out any smoke they had inhaled. Before them laid the smoldering remains of a connected farm, where they had just barely managed to extinguish a fire. Many of the ponies were covered in soot and ashes, and some had sustained burns on their bodies. They were all tired, but happy that the blaze was now gone.

Bluejinx sat with his aunt and the candy shop owners, looking up at the stars and thanking the heavens that it was all over. From what he had heard, Cheese Sandwich, Pinkamena, and Igneous Rock had been trapped in there, but the other Pie sisters managed to rescue them. They were currently on their way to the nearest hospital, which was in Ponyville. He prayed that the three would be all right.

Sugar Glider fluttered her wings. "Whew, we had to use a lot of rain for that fire."

Lemon groaned. "My legs hurt from the trips to the river."

Purple Prose rubbed her eyes. "And I'm tired. What time is it?"

Bluejinx laid on his back and shrugged. "Dunno." His ears twitched as he overheard numerous snippets of conversations from some of the other townsponies. There were a few of interest that stood out.

"Argh, where is Cortland?" Haralson grumbled. "He was out, so he shoulda noticed the fire! That colt better have a good excuse..."

Bluejinx grimaced. He remembered Maud simply stating Cortland's name in response to his question. Maud hadn't expanded on that, but that definitely implied that the Apple stallion had started the fire. With two of the Pies and Cheese being the intended victims, there was no doubt as to why. His mind flashed back to his first day in town, when he saw firsthand the harassment and forced kiss on Pinkamena.

He shook his head. _Oh, Haralson... you'd be crushed to learn of your son's involvement in this._

He heard a few more snippets of conversations, mostly about the fire that they had just fought.

"Oh, dear, who's going to tell Mr. Green about this?"

"Eh, he'll be happy that his cabbage patch has been untouched by the fire."

"I wonder if he left the stove on in there."

"Just what were the Pies doing here, anyway?"

"I bet the Pies started the fire--or maybe that Sandwich fellow!"

Bluejinx jumped to his hooves, and swiftly accosted the pony who said that. "Excuse me?! What was that about the 'Sandwich fellow'?"

Purple Prose perked up at Bluejinx's sudden reaction, and said, "Bluejinx! What do you think you're doing?"

The gray pony Bluejinx accosted narrowed his eyes. "Well, think about it. We thought that we run him out of town--but no, he returns for whatever reason. I betcha he was staking one last claim on Pinkamena, and when Igneous said 'no', Mr. Sandwich set the house on fire in order to wipe the mare he lusted for, her father, and himself out. Well, that failed, the pathetic little vermin."

Bluejinx's face turned red. "Why, you... you..." He took a deep breath and exhaled. "Okay, then. Suppose your theory is true. First, what are they doing in Mr. Green's house? I'd think that if it _was_ him, he'd set the _Pies'_ house on fire. After all, no one cares what happens to them. Second, if you're assuming Cheese kidnapped Igneous, I think he'd A) lose a fight against him, and B) even if he did win, why hide him here, where the riffraff that has bullied him are boarded? And if he didn't kidnap him, well, _burning a house down would've been counterproductive for the Pies' search for their patriarch!_ Come on, did you even bother to get to know these ponies even a little bit?"

The gray pony open his mouth to answer, but shifted his eyes around and rubbed his head, trying to rack his brains for an answer. "I-- um... uh..."

Bluejinx gave a nod. "Thought so."

"Well... well... come on!" the pony shouted. "He's a dirty vagrant! It should be obvious that by taking the job with the pony with four daughters that he didn't have pure intentions in mind! Why, I wouldn't be surprised if any one of them turned out to be with foal!"

His red friend added, "Pfft, I bet they were trying to cover that up with the fire. I'm surprised that the Pies didn't just stone him when he set foot on their property."

Sugar Glider was by Bluejinx's side, her face redder than her mane. _"Excuse me?!_ Okay, last time I was there, they were nothing but helpful! I'll admit they were annoyed that they weren't expecting a guest, but they were good hosts to Lemon and me!"

Lemon was by in wife's side in a second. "Not to mention our little Butterscotch was born at their farm! If they're such barbarians like everypony claims, I'm sure they wouldn't have even let us live to see our foal!"

The red pony rolled his eyes, and looked at the townsfolk having the same reaction to the claims of the three ponies in front of him. "Still doesn't change the fact that they were stupid enough to let him work on their farm. He probably poisoned their minds to make them think that setting fire to an innocent pony's home was harmless. And in turn, they poisoned his mind into thinking more like a savage than he already was. No doubt that they're the bad guys here. I'm disappointed that they didn't die in the--"

"_ENOUGH!_" Haralson roared, having heard the whole thing. Everypony snapped their attention to the large and angry Apple stallion, who stormed to where Bluejinx, Lemon, and Sugar stood, and stood with them. He snorted.

"If ya won't listen to them, maybe you'll listen to me," he began. "This whole mess started _before_ Cheese Sandwich arrived in Nickerlite. It started with y'all accepting them idiotic lies as truth. Mah son didn't help matters by makin' up tales of how abusive Igneous Rock was just so he could garner support for his so-called 'rescue' of Pinkamena. Well, were y'all so blind that ya didn't see how annoyed she was with him? Were y'all so blind that ya missed that she was just fine? And dagnabbit, Ah kept tellin' ya'll that you shouldn't believe every rumor you hear!"

Scarlet the unicorn piped up, "But, Haralson! You always say that Apples are an honest bunch!"

Haralson pursed his lips. "...we should be. But we ain't always honest. Ah wasn't honest to mahself about how mah son was spreadin' lies and harassin' a young mare. Ah'm not a good father, Ah admit it. In truth, Igneous Rock is a better father than I.

"Now, he's mighty protective of his daughters. He's told me personally that he don't hire stallions very often--so Cheese Sandwich must have passed some kind of test that Cortland couldn't. The feller's skinny and dusty, true, but he's polite, a great storyteller, wouldn't hurt a fly..." he chuckled. "My little girl has a little crush on him. Personally, Ah think Igneous wouldn't have hired him if he only applied just to get close to the Pie sisters."

The grey pony huffed. "Geez, why are you defending them? I mean, what did the Pies ever do for any of us?"

Haralson gave him a half-lidded look. "They saved mah farm from Parasprites..." He scratched his chin and chuckled. "Surprisingly, not with rocks, but with music!"

That's when Purple Prose stepped forward. "I don't think the question is 'What have the Pies done for us?', but rather 'What have we done for the Pies?' I've noticed that part of the reason this got so out of hoof is that, well, they don't exactly live in town; they're isolated, and couple that with their old job of essentially prison warden, I think that made some crazy ideas about them pop up.

"Still, I wonder... did any of you ever go out of your way to visit them and get to know them better? Did any of you try your hoof at doing some of the simple rock farming activities over there? Or were you all just too afraid of those rock-throwing barbarians to even see if any of the rumors are true? I don't have much to say except my sister met her eventual husband over there..." She looked at her nephew and smiled. "I figured the Pies had been doing something right to whip him into shape, so I've been wondering what all this nonsense is about."

Several ponies opened their mouths to answer, but slowly closed them and looked away.

Purple Prose gestured to Bluejinx, the candy shop owners, and Haralson. "These folks have visited the Pies, and they returned without a scratch--although the couple returned with a little foal!" Said couple blushed at that statement, while the others chuckled in good nature. Purple Prose continued, "See, if these folks can survive a visit to the Pies, I'm sure you can, too. Bluejinx even wrote an article about them! Have you forgotten about that too?"

Her eyes scanning the crowd, who looked awash with guilt, she added, "I don't know how the fire started, but would the oldest Pie daughter have rung the bell to gather the town if they had started it? I don't think so. So... I'd like you all to shove those rumors aside, actually try to get to know them, and then you can judge from there."

One pony exclaimed, "But... but... what if we forget by the time they return? Who knows when they'll come back?!"

Purple Prose chuckled. "You can start by writing some 'Get Well' cards."

Bluejinx smiled, and then sighed sadly. "I'm going to have to write Tomato and tell him about this fire and how his brother was caught in it. He's not going to be happy to hear about it." His eyes widened as if he got an idea. "Say... Aunt Purple, you don't mind if I deliver those 'Get Well' cards, do you?"

"Of course not."

Haralson chuckled. "Well, Ah better get to writin' mine. And gettin' Blossom, Idared, and Stayman to help. Ah'd really like to make up for the mess of the past few months, Ah really would. Now, if Ah could only find Cortland..."

He noticed a few of the ponies grimacing, and looking at him sadly. Tilting his head, he asked, "What?"

A mare timidly stepped forward. "Haralson... I'm so sorry, but... we have some bad news for you..."

* * *

Pinkamena was breathing too rapidly and too shallowly for her liking. Every attempt at a deep breath failed, with the lungs feeling only half-full until the air was quickly expunged. Her head was numb, and her throat was sore. She coughed a few times, and opened her eyes.

She heard a gasp. "She's awake!"

Though her vision was blurry, she pinpointed the gray blob who said that. "Marble?" She rubbed her eyes, which to her dismay stung. She blinked a few times before she saw her sisters before her, and they were all in an unfamiliar room, which was painted in cool colors and sparsely decorated. She croaked, "Maud? Limestone? Ugh... wha... what happened? Where are we? Why am I not dead?"

"I heard you calling for help, and Maud punched the door to get you out. We took you to Ponyville as fast as we could," Limestone answered.

Maud nodded. "You've been out for two weeks. We were worried that you weren't going to make it."

Pinkamena sat up, and was greeted with burning sensations in her hooves and various spots on her body. Her face stung, her legs stung, just about everything was stinging. She took a look at her forelegs, wrapped up in bandages. Biting her lip and struggling to take a deep breath, she asked, "Wha... what about Pa? What about Cheese?"

Marble frowned. "Pa's still unconscious. The doctors had to cast breath spells on him, remove the tar from his back, fix that torn muscle, treat the burns... yeah, he's pretty banged up. Ma and Aunt Seddie are watching over him right now. As for Cheese... well, we keep checking up on him. He's doing okay, but he hasn't woken up yet."

Pinkamena sighed. "Sounds like he'll wake up all alone. Not to mention he's without glasses, so he can't really see anything."

"He has the rubber chicken," Limestone deadpanned. She was lightly smacked on the back of the head by Marble in response.

Pinkamena lightly brushed her mane--which to her surprise had been cropped short. "I bet he'll be happy that we left Boneless with Aunt Seddie. Don't want him to lose another chicken like that one that exploded."

Maud blinked. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, right, you weren't there when he told that story." Pinkamena coughed hoarsely, covering her mouth as she wheezed enough for her chest to hurt. Once she stopped, she muttered, "I shouldn't talk so much."

Maud gingerly laid a hoof on one of Pinkamena's. "Just rest. We're just happy you're alive."

Marble giggled. "On a side note... I dunno why, but the townsfolk back in Nickerlite decided to send us 'Get Well' cards." She gestured proudly to a pile of letters that laid upon the couch. "Bluejinx dropped by to deliver them, and went back to the train station. They're awfully apologetic... would you like to read them?"

Pinkamena laid back down, and smiled. "Yeah, I'd like to read their apologies on how stupid they were."

* * *

Cheese wanted to stay asleep; the bed was far too comfy. He had Boneless in his front leg, and he felt like a little foal just recently tucked in and awaiting a lullaby.

Unfortunately, the raw stinging and burning that peppered his body, as well as his shallow breaths were preventing him from doing so. He mainly resigned himself to shutting his eyes because trying to see with his blurry vision would give him a headache. He was sad that he had lost his glasses, and he worried that he wouldn't be able to afford an eye doctor, or even another pair.

"Oh, magical eye fairy..." he whispered. "Fix my eyes. Right now."

He heard the door open. He perked up. "Magical eye fairy?"

The next moment, he heard what sounded like a snort and barely repressed laughter. He tilted his head curiously, noting that it sounded like a stranger, but he shrugged it off as just the doctor. Still, he could feel his cheeks warming up from embarrassment.

"I'm so sorry that I called you a fairy, doctor."

The laughing ceased, and the stranger said, "Well, I'm neither a fairy nor your doctor..."

Cheese raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me, but... I'm not so sure that a random pony could just waltz in here and say 'Hi.'"

"I'm not a random pony, either, Cheese."

How did this guy know his name? Cheese opened his eyes wide, but quickly shut them again because the sudden action of that hurt. What he caught in his brief glimpse was a flash of red--or orange, he couldn't really tell. Still, the fact that this pony was either one of those colors made him a little uncomfortable, given that a fire had put him in the hospital bed.

He sighed. "I'm so sorry, Mr... uh, are you my lawyer?"

The stranger replied with a blunt, "No."

"Well, I'm sorry, anyway, but it kind of hurts to try to see without my glasses. Unfortunately, I lost them in a fire."

"Eh, Bluejinx told me that when he invited me here. That's why I brought your spares. You left them behind when you ran away; they _might_ be outdated, but it's all we've got."

"Wait, my spares? How did you--" He was interrupted by something being gingerly placed on his muzzle, and once the glasses were steady, Cheese opened his eyes to take a good look at the pony before him. Although the glasses weren't the clearest, he was able to make out who was in front of him.

He was nearly as tall as Cheese was, and had green eyes that matched his. The pony was the color that he had saw, while wearing a white shirt and green tie underneath his brown suit jacket. His cutie mark was that of a tomato resembling a money bag. His mane and tail were a dark brown, and although it was slicked down to seem straight--apart from a large forelock curl that was hard to ignore--Cheese definitely knew that this pony's hair was naturally curly.

Cheese blinked. "Tomato? Is that you?"

Tomato raised an eyebrow. "Well, how else did I obtain your spares?" Realizing that he was being sassy, he stepped back, and looked away. "No, no, no... darn it, Tommy, you can't mess this up like that..."

Cheese tilted his head. "Hey, now, what's that about?"

Tomato glanced at him. "Well, I, uh... I didn't want to offend you. Ugh, this is awkward enough having to talk to you in a hospital. Stupid fire."

"Relax. I don't bite. I'm just happy my spares were kept."

Tomato turned back around to face him again. He rubbed his leg. "Can't blame me for not wanting to throw them out... I kind of wanted a memento. And since your accordion was beyond repair..." He stopped there, and backed up even more.

Cheese sighed. Clearly, in Tomato's mind, one wrong word could make this crumble. He felt a little bad for making his brother have to walk on eggshells around him. "Tomato, it's okay. Really, now, I'm just wondering why you're not angry with me."

Tomato sighed and walked to the window. Leaning against it and looking out of it, he said, "Truth be told, I was angry when you ran away. I was angry with you, angry with Mom, angry with Dad, angry with my friends... but, mostly, I was angry at myself. I was so angry with myself, that I just let myself fall into depression. I mean, wouldn't you be angry with yourself if you did something awful to alienate and drive away the pony you loved most? If anything, I was convinced that you were right, that I'm nothing but a selfish backstabber without even knowing it until it was too late." He sighed once again. "I'm so sorry..."

Cheese looked down at his bandaged hooves. Stroking the blanket gently, he murmured, "Tommy, I... look, it's not just the accordion thing that prevented me from returning." He carefully slid the blanket just enough to show off the marks on his flank, which were still visible despite his injuries. "It was my cutie mark."

Tomato turned around, and saw the hoofprints that made up Cheese's mark. "Oh... yeah, Mom would have not been happy..."

"She's never happy."

Tomato scowled and looked back out the window. "Got that right. She tried to make me her 'perfect son' that'll finally earn our family some respect... and yet, Plan B often comes up short."

Cheese nodded. "Yeah... she would have been disappointed to see me as a consistently broke traveler, having to work odd jobs here and there just to get by. I've had plenty of weird and funny things happen on my journey, but most of the time... it isn't that fun. I never really made friends that I kept in touch with. I didn't even have anything for a good traveling companion until I got Boneless here... and that was recently." He held the rubber chicken up for emphasis. "There's a difference between being alone and being lonely."

Suddenly, Cheese gasped, and breathed rapidly, holding his chest.

Alarmed, Tomato rushed to Cheese's bedside. "Are you all right?"

Cheese inhaled. "I'll be fine."

"As I've said before... stupid fire."

Cheese chuckled softly. "...yeah."

Tomato tapped his hooves together. "So... uh... is there anything I can do to make it up to you? I'd lend you some money, but, well, I kind of have this thing called college... sorry..."

"Oh, no, don't apologize, you can keep educating yourself." Cheese tapped his chin. "Well... uh... hm, you know what? How about we just try to be best brother buddies again? Being cold about old wounds wasn't helping me any. I mean... we were just kids."

Tomato smiled. "Okay."

"Good, now let's hug. But be gentle, I'm kinda burned up."

Tomato nodded, and leaned forward to hug him. Cheese returned the hug, and patted his back. This was another thing to add to the list of things he'd never thought happen, but did. And he had never been happier about it.

"It's good to see you, baby bro."

* * *

It was another week before Igneous woke up. When he did so, he was surprised to be greeted with the warmest kiss from Cloudy that he had in years. All pain that he had faded away, and he forgot that he had been in a fire. His mind flashed back to their younger years, and his heart swelled with joy upon recalling the sweet love that they had. He was so happy that even when things were gloomy, and even when not much affection was shared, that this love never died.

They broke the kiss, and Igneous said, "Oh, Cloudy... I was afraid that I'd die before I got to see you again."

Cloudy responded with, "And I was afraid that those injuries from the fire would have claimed you."

"Hmph. Takes a lot more than that to take down this stallion."

Cloudy sighed. "Unfortunately, you're not going to be able to work for a while."

Igneous groaned. "Well, then, somepony's going to have to pick up the slack at the farm. How are Pinkamena and Cheese?"

"All burned up, but for the most part, I think they'll be okay."

"Good... good. I passed out while we were still in the middle of the blaze." He groaned once again. "And the pain's coming back..."

He was surprised to see another mare walk in, who strangely looked a lot like his mother, but with light brown hair and gold eyes. She came in chatting, "You know, Cloudy, Ponyville has a couple of nice restaurants, I think we should go out to lunch." She turned and looked at Igneous. "Oh! Yay, he's awake! I'd hug him, but..."

"Uh..." Igneous muttered.

The pink mare frowned. "So, uh, do you recognize me?"

Igneous pursed his lips. "Recognize you? Recognize you..." He took a bit to fit the puzzle pieces together, and when it clicked, his eyes widened. "Seddie?"

Seddie reared up. "Ding ding ding! How are you feeling, big brother?"

Igneous shook his head. "Like I'm still on fire."

"Oh, right, do you need pain medication?"

"Nah, I'll be fine," he denied, thinking he can stand the pain. He looked straight at her, as he noted that the years had been kind to his sister. "Where have you been all this time?"

Seddie tapped her hooves together. "Oh... traveling for years until I settled down in the mountains near Ponyville." She slinked backward. "I'm, uh... sorry for not visiting and meeting your daughters sooner."

"So... why'd you come now?"

"Oh, your daughter Pinkamena and her friend Cheese came to my door in the middle of the night. A friend and I took them to the train station, we ran into Maud, who told us you were missing... and so, here I am."

Igneous nodded. "Well, I'm happy to see that you're not dead."

Seddie giggled. "And there's your sense of humor again."

"I was being serious. But in all honesty..." He smiled at her. "I'll be happy to welcome you home."

Cloudy shook her head. "Well, now that all three of you are awake, we'll see how long it'll be until we can all go home."


	39. Feels Like Home

It was a few days more before the three were released from the hospital, with instructions on how to care for the burns and prescribing medication, as well as emphasizing the extra rest Igneous needed for his leg to heal. Now, the Pies were taking the train home, so they could settle into the healing for the next several weeks. Cheese was going to heal along with them, Seddie was going to help take care of the burns, and Tomato tagged along so Cheese could show them where he had been working and living for the past few months.

Igneous, sitting in a wheelchair, was giving a funny look at the well-dressed stallion sitting in the seat across the aisle, scanning him up and down. Pursing his lips, he grumbled, "Well, I was right about one thing: A pony named Tomato would be red, and you are definitely red."

Tomato looked at Igneous curiously. "Well, then..."

Cloudy, who sat near her husband, shook her head. "No, no, no... he looks orange to me."

Igneous snorted. "If he was orange, I'm pretty sure his parents would have named him 'Carrot'."

"Igneous, he's a different shade of orange than a carrot. He's a red-orange color."

Igneous whickered in annoyance. "Red-orange? That's just silly."

Cloudy raised an eyebrow. "So is the name of 'Carrot Sandwich.'"

Seddie, who sat by Cloudy, giggled. "Does it really matter what his fur color is?"

Igneous gestured to the dark-haired stallion. "His name has to match his coat! At least Cheese's coat is the shade of some actual cheese..."

Cloudy snorted. "I've seen orange tomatoes when I was a filly. My father loved growing them, and ate them fresh."

Igneous facehoofed, while his sister just laughed. "Cloudy, please don't bring your father into this..."

Tomato sighed and leaned in his hoof. "I've heard this argument between several art students once..."

Cheese, who sat in the seat facing Tomato's, laughed. "You've had ponies argue about your coat color?"

Tomato rolled his eyes. "Nah, they were arguing about what shade of blue the sky was. They couldn't care less about the passerby who overheard the words 'azure', 'cerulean', and 'celeste'. I mean, who cares? It's blue."

Pinkamena was sitting beside Cheese, Maud sat next to Tomato, while Marble and Limestone were with Igneous, Cloudy, and Seddie. The four sisters had been amused by their parents' discussion on whether Tomato was red or orange, and agreed with his sentiment about the color of the sky. Even Maud was nodding.

Limestone said, "Say, Cheese, did you tell him some of your stories? I'm sure he'd like them."

Cheese waved a bandaged hoof. "Already told him a few. He laughed the hardest at Hank the Big, Mean, Ribbiting Diamond Dog!"

"Dogs don't ribbit," Maud said bluntly.

Cloudy leaned in her seat and replied, "Well, Hank didn't get the memo. I should know, I was there."

Cheese chuckled. "I also told him the Santa Hooves one--"

"I read about it in the newspaper, but they never mentioned that the pony being chased was Cheese Sandwich!" Tomato complained.

"--the fight at that bakery in Ponyville--"

"It's called Sugarcube Corner, dearie," Seddie corrected.

"--the time I was pelted with jellyfish--"

"Again, how were the ponies throwing them not stung?" Marble asked.

"--and the whole fiasco with the aggressive coworker who murdered a calf and was replaced with a pregnant mare."

Igneous sighed. "It's a good thing you withheld the details when you told that story at the Apples' table, Cheese. I'm sure you didn't want to put those mental images into those twins' heads."

Cheese shrugged. "Well, I didn't, and I wasn't too explicit about what happened when I told Tomato... I already have a gruesome mental image." He shuddered at the thought of what had happened, and silently cursed the pony who had gone in full detail about that incident.

Limestone scowled. "You didn't tell him about the Goof Off?"

Tomato tilted his head. "What the hay's a Goof Off?"

Cheese shook his head to clear his mind, and then answered, "Oh, it's a competition between two weird... reality-warping... crazy ponies to see which one could pull off the most ridiculous stunts and out-goof the other. There's usually a song involved... or so I've heard."

Tomato leaned forward and placed the tips of his hooves together. "I'm intrigued. You must tell me this story."

Pinkamena looked out the window. "Maybe later, Tomato, we're here."

The train came to a stop in the Nickerlite station, and those who were able stood up and began to file out. Cloudy pushed Igneous' wheelchair out, and Cheese and Pinkamena hobbled carefully into the boarding platform, wincing at the stinging that accompanied each step.

The very next moment had the candy shop owners rushing toward them, with their foal in tow. A perky Sugar Glider chirped, "Hello, Pies! We're so glad that you returned!"

Pinkamena waved. "Hi, Sugar! Hi, Lemon! Hi, Butterscotch!"

Butterscotch, in a carrier that her mother had on her back, cooed in response to Pinkamena, and once close enough, poked Pinkamena on the nose and giggled. Then she turned to Cheese, and poked him on the nose as well. She looked at the other ponies and stretched forth her hoof, wanting to poke the noses of the others.

Lemon chuckled. "What is with you and poking noses, Butters?"

Cheese grinned. "It's just so cute!" He swiftly grabbed Tomato, positioned him in front of the filly, and Butterscotch poked him on the nose. Cheese held a grin, although he was visibly wincing from pain.

Tomato chuckled. "Okay, that is cute..." He stuck his tongue out playfully at the babbling foal. He looked up at the parents and said, "By the way, I'm Cheese's brother, Tomato."

Sugar took his hoof and shook it vigorously. "Oh, goodie! I was worried that the poor fella had no family."

Cheese rolled his eyes. "Nah, they were alive and kicking the whole time." He cleared his throat. "Hope you don't mind, but we have a farm to return to..."

Igneous looked at Cheese and Pinkamena worriedly. "Are you sure that you two can make it to the farm?"

"We'll be fine, Pa," Pinkamena said.

Almost immediately she and Cheese were suddenly hoisted onto the back of a large stallion. The group was awfully surprised by the random pony's appearance, and those on his back looked at him like he was crazy.

The large, peach-colored stallion giggled and said, "Pardon me for the interruption, but I can't just let two injured ponies walk such a long way."

Igneous looked at him funny. "Who are you?"

"Name's Trotterjohn. Born and bred here in Nickerlite, work at the print shop, and I was in the same class as Maud."

Maud looked up, blinked, and muttered, "Oh... it's you. You got taller."

Cheese looked at Trotterjohn. "You work at the print shop? Did Bluejinx send you?"

Trotterjohn shook his head. "Nope, I came of my own volition."

Of course, the mentioned unicorn cantered over once the train passed, and he was looking rather annoyed with the large stallion. "Trot... what did my aunt tell you about slipping out just to greet the Pies at the train station?"

Trotterjohn frowned. "I didn't wanna miss them..."

Lemon shrugged. "We didn't want to miss them, either."

Upon seeing his friend, Tomato grinned. "Hey, Blue!"

Bluejinx smiled. "Hey, Tom. How's it going back in Manehattan?"

"Eh, the usual. How are things in Nickerlite... besides all the strife that had been happening here that nearly killed my brother?"

Bluejinx rubbed the back of his head. "Erm... well, we recently had a funeral." He glanced in between the Pies, gauging their reaction.

"Who died?" Cloudy asked.

Bluejinx blinked. "Uh, nopony mentioned it?"

The group all shook their heads, while Trotterjohn, Lemon, and Sugar were just sweeping his eyes over them. He coughed and bit his lip. Bluejinx glared at him for a moment, and then sighed. "Well, you wouldn't believe this, but... Cortland's dead."

The group was looking straight at him with wide eyes, except for Maud, who held her usual stony look. Still, all were in shock about the news that they had just received. All were silent except for Cloudy, who said, "You're kidding, right?"

Bluejinx shook his head. "The night of the fire, ponies at the river saw a train hit him. Not a pretty sight."

Tomato tilted his head. "Uh, Cortland?"

Pinkamena jumped off of Trotterjohn's back, and immediately crumpled to the ground, grunting from the pain in her legs. Tomato immediately helped her back up, and she explained, "Well, see, Cortland's this stallion who had been pestering me about being his 'beau' and spreading rumors about my family... he quickly turned lunatic, kidnapped my Pa, and started the fire to try to kill him, me, and Cheese."

Tomato bit his lip. "Well, okay then... he doesn't sound very nice."

Bluejinx stepped forward. "Not to mention that those gang members confessed to helping him sabotage the reunion between you and Cheese by stealing my letters from you and Cheese's reply to the letter you sent him--and wrote a fake to get him fired."

Cheese interjected, "And conspired to punish you in my place just because I 'stole his mare'."

Tomato was wide-eyed upon hearing that. "Excuse me, but I had nothing to do with that love triangle--I didn't even know it existed..."

Trotterjohn frowned. "I thought we weren't supposed to speak ill of the dead."

Sugar nodded. "It may not change the fact that he did awful things--but there are still ponies who were hit hard by his death."

Pinkamena sighed. "I know, I know... I would have been happy if he had been sent somewhere else. I wasn't ever wishing death on him, no matter how irritating he got. Still... I can't imagine what his little brother and sister are going through. It must be really hard for them."

Igneous looked at the ground and pursed his lips. "It must be awfully hard for Haralson as well." He looked at his sister and wife. "Cloudy, take the others home; Seddie, take me to the Apples' farm. I want to talk to Haralson."

Cloudy frowned. "What if Haralson blames you for Cortland's death?"

"I wouldn't blame him for being upset with me over my involvement in this mess; but, still..."

Seddie nodded. "Well, I'll take you. Going to at least try some comfort, and try to be a friend?"

Igneous sighed. "I just want to make sure he's all right."

* * *

The apple orchard still looked the same and smelled the same, but it sure didn't feel the same. The last time Igneous had been there, it had been a warm and cheery place, bearing sweet fruit to be munched on and shared and the cool shade of the many trees to lay in on a hot day. Now it seemed so somber, and it seemed like the trees were weeping. The cool shade gave Igneous a chill, and he was starting to feel a little gloomy himself. Not even Seddie was feeling very talkative as she pushed his wheelchair through the orchard.

He wondered if the rock farm had felt this way when his mother and mother-in-law had passed away. Not that the rock farm could be considered a cheerful place, but it was at least happier before their deaths. After they were gone, it took years before they could even smile again--and it was thanks to a lanky colt that had stumbled there one day. Igneous had never anticipated the family becoming so attached to him, and now he wasn't sure that he could imagine life without Cheese Sandwich.

He sighed, reminding himself to keep focus on the task at hand. What was he going to say to Haralson? Igneous had never liked Cortland all that much, and now had even less reason to since the colt had nearly killed him, his daughter, and his former employee. He looked at the bandages and patches that covered his forelegs, barrel, and hindlegs. Noting that he had to change his bandages soon, he was still miffed that Cortland could not face justice for arson or attempted murder. Why was he on his way to comfort Haralson?

They arrived at the house, and he allowed Seddie to knock on the door. It was soon answered by Blossom, whose mane was sloppily put up in a messy bun. She looked like she hadn't slept, and she was without a twinkle in her eye.

"Erm, hello," Igneous muttered. "Is Haralson home?"

Blossom pushed the door back so it was only open a crack. "We don't want no company."

Remembering that Cortland had been dead the past few weeks, he wondered what kind of "condolences" the townsfolk had given them. "Ma'am, I'm just here to see how he's doing."

She stuck her head out and glared at him. "How do Ah know yer not just here to rub it in?"

Haralson's voice came from inside. "Blossom... just let 'em in."

Blossom blinked, and with narrowed eyes, she huffed and opened the door so the Rock Siblings could come in. Seddie pushed Igneous in, and they came face to face with Haralson lying down on the couch.

He was even more a mess than his wife. His blonde mane was matted and tangled up, he had grown a short beard, and his eyes looked sunken and haunted. He glanced at Igneous much like a bloodhound would, and he blinked slowly. Igneous felt sorrow just looking at him, trying to imagine how hard it'd be to lose a child.

In the corner, Stayman and Idared were quietly playing with dolls. Beside them laid a toy train with the wheels popped off and looked a little too banged up to be an accident. They looked up at him with sad innocence before resuming their activity.

Seddie looked sorrowfully at the twins. "Excuse me, but would you two like a snack?"

"No, ma'am," Stayman mumbled. "We ain't hungry." A rumble from a stomach came from that corner. Seddie didn't know which stomach, but the "not hungry" thing was a lie.

"Oh, but I insist. After all, you need to eat." She looked at Blossom. "Do you mind showing me where everything is so I could prepare something for them?"

Blossom sighed. "This way."

Seddie smiled warmly and beckoned the foals. "Come on, you two. I'll make you a special treat!"

Igneous watched as the twins looked at each other, stood up, and then followed Seddie and their mother into the kitchen. His sister gave him a wink, and he knew that she was leaving him and Haralson alone. With a sigh, he looked at the grieving father before him.

What could he say? He had gotten this far--where were the words that could comfort Haralson? He wasn't sure if he should have volunteered for this, especially with the burns that he bore which Cortland had something to do with. Did Haralson know that Cortland started the fire? If he didn't, then Igneous was not going to mention it.

"Go on... say it," Haralson mumbled.

Igneous blinked. "Say what?"

Haralson curled up in his ball even further. "Say how mah son deserved it. Say how Ah at least have mah other children. Say how Ah'm such an awful father. Say how much yer glad that he won't bother Pinkamena no more. Say how this whole thing could've been prevented. Ah know you're thinking 'em, so just say 'em out loud."

Igneous nickered. "No... I'm not going to."

"Then what? Ya gonna try an' comfort me with them tired ol' sayings of 'he's in a better place' or 'I understand your pain' or 'be strong' or somethin' like that? It ain't gonna work."

"I'm not, Haralson. I'm only here to see how you're doing."

Haralson snorted. "Well, yer seeing me now."

Igneous nodded. "I know I am. If I'm going to be honest, there's really nothing I _can_ say. I can't even begin to understand how painful it is to lose a child. The most I can say is..." He inhaled as deeply as he could, despite his lungs aching. "...is that I'm sorry."

Haralson looked at him with mild confusion. "Why are you apologizing?"

"Because it isn't fair. It doesn't matter what I say--you're in pain, and it's something that nopony can take away, no matter how hard they try." Igneous coughed, and wiped his mouth. With a sigh, he added, "But... maybe I can take up your offer of us being friends. Because if anything, you need a friend."

Haralson blinked back tears. "But... you don't need to--"

"It doesn't matter whether I need to or not--what matters is that you need support. I'll visit whenever I can, to be a shoulder you can cry on. Wheelchair or not, I'm going to make sure you're not alone. Whatever support I can provide, I'll provide it. That's a Pie promise."

Haralson sighed. "You don't have ta do this."

"I do. I just promised I would. And we Pies take promises very seriously."

* * *

After they finished their visit with the Apples, Igneous and Seddie were on their way rock farm, with the latter looking at the rocks with nostalgia. She giggled at some memories that came to her mind, and recounted them to her brother.

She looked up at the clouds. "Do you remember when I thought pegasi were born earth ponies and sprouted wings when they came of age?"

Igneous looked at her funny. "You jumped off the roof and broke a leg because you thought your time had come. It took a baby pegasus to get you to your senses!"

"I know, I know... still, I've always admired pegasi."

"Well, so has Pinkamena. She is friends with a pegasus in town, and Cloudy's mother was a pegasus, so well, she does have pegasus blood in her... I wouldn't be surprised if one of her future offspring turned out to be a pegasus."

"What if she has a unicorn?"

"Eh, I doubt it, unless she marries a colt who's a unicorn or has unicorn heritage. Huh, I wonder if Cheese has a unicorn ancestor..." Realizing what he was saying, he looked ahead and said, "Hey, the house is in view!"

Seddie raised an eyebrow. "Igneous... what was that about Cheese?"

Igneous snorted. "Seddie, I was just wondering about something unimportant, that's all."

"Are you sure? You sound like you want him to marry Pinkamena."

Igneous sighed. "Well, not right this minute, but I do like him. I really do. But does it really change his cutie mark? He'll have that itching for travel, and there's no way I could hold him from doing that. I'm afraid of Pinkamena having her heart broken that way."

Seddie tapped her chin. "Well, Igneous, Pinkamena did say she was tired at being held at the rock farm and wanted to explore Equestria. I think she'd take the chance to go with him."

Igneous leaned in his wheelchair. "She probably would. I mean... she is an adult, and she always did have a free spirit. But would I be able to see her again?"

Seddie was silent for a moment before answering, "I think that's a discussion that shouldn't be held just between the two of us."

* * *

And so it was that the Pie Family, Aunt Seddie, and the Sandwich brothers were gathered in the living room of the Pie home. All was quiet as they stared at the old, patched up stallion in the wheelchair. Igneous, in turn, was staring at the two other bandaged ponies, one of them being his own daughter. Everypony was wondering what was going to be said, and what would happen concerning Cheese once he was fully healed.

"So... Cheese Sandwich," Igneous began.

Cheese slumped in his seat, looking up at him with puppy-dog eyes.

Igneous coughed. "I understand that you've become quite attached to this farm and my family, is that correct?"

Cheese nodded.

"You've especially gotten attached to my daughter Pinkamena, and she to you. The fact that I caught you two kissing was proof enough. If there's anything I will admit, I did overreact to you two falling in love."

"And to that fake letter claiming to be from Tomato," Pinkamena deadpanned.

Tomato perked up from where he sat. "Say, I'm curious as to what the letter says."

Cheese gave him a funny look. "Are you sure? It's kinda dirty..."

"We'll get to it later," Igneous said. "Now, the problem that presents itself is one regarding your cutie mark. Your special talent happens to be wandering around Equestria, just going wherever and only settling down for a temporary job just to earn bits to get by. Now, we could easily just have Pinkamena travel with you, but I'm not sure I'm comfortable with your odd jobs kind of lifestyle. So, I've been thinking..."

All in the room leaned toward Igneous, except for Maud. They jumped when Igneous coughed again, and Cloudy held her husband.

"I'm okay, I'm okay... ahem, anyway, I've been thinking of giving you a position in delivery. In that sense, not only would you still get to travel, but you'd have a permanent job as well. Does that sound good to you, Mr. Sandwich?"

Cheese was gaping at him in surprise. "You mean... I-I'm rehired?"

Igneous nodded. "Now, in your condition, you can't do that, so I'll have my other daughters handling that until you're up to it. I figure it's about time they get to go out and see a few places."

Limestone laughed. "Really? Oh, boy, that sounds great!"

Marble nodded. "I wonder what sights we'll see."

Maud blinked. "I'm ecstatic... I'll get to see more types of rocks."

"But, Pa, what will we do in the meantime?" Pinkamena asked. "We can't exactly farm rocks while we're still bandaged up."

"We'll heal," Igneous replied bluntly. "And Cheese, there's one other thing."

Cheese gulped. "Yes, sir?"

Igneous cleared his throat again. "Where's that darn medication... ahem, I believe you would like to court my daughter Pinkamena?"

Cheese flushed red enough to look like his brother. "I, uh, I can't believe you asked that..." He shot a glare at the snickering Tomato, and then glanced at Pinkamena, who was equally surprised. He then meekly looked at Igneous again, and nodded.

Igneous gave him a half-lidded look. "I'd like you to formally ask me, then."

"Oh." Cheese cleared his throat. "Mr. Igneous Rock... I'd like to ask permission to court your lovely daughter, Miss Pinkamena Pie."

Igneous stared at him for a moment, and then gave a nod. "You have my permission."

Cheese smiled, and in a single bound, he leapt across the room and hugged Igneous. Of course, the sudden action made both of them yell in pain, and Cheese broke the hug and grinned sheepishly at the glaring Igneous.

"Sorry! Let's try that again..." Cheese went in with a gentler hug, and Igneous returned it, with a few pats on the back, which was enough to leave the younger stallion winded. The hug broke, and Cheese wheezed as he backed away. Pinkamena was quickly by his side.

"Well... your father... gave his permission..." he said, still panting. "Would you... like... to try... a courtship?"

Pinkamena smirked, and answered his question with a big kiss on the lips. Cheese froze up, and then returned the kiss with equal vigor. Both hearts were racing, and they felt so sweet and warm as they held it in front of the members of both their families. Limestone and Marble sighed happily, Maud smiled, the older ponies looked at each other, and Tomato leaned in his hoof and muttered, "Way to go, big bro. I'm sure you'll make her happy."

Cheese and Pinkamena broke the kiss, and hugged. Pinkamena's sisters joined in to create a group hug, and Seddie and Cloudy pushed Igneous so that he could join, and then joined themselves. Tomato merely stared at them, up until Cheese exclaimed, "Hey, Tommy, you need to be part of the group hug too! I'm sure they'll be happy to consider you family."

Tommy paused and put a hoof on his chest, surprised at the invitation. And then with a warm smile of his own, he stood up, walked forward, and let himself be pulled into the hug.

It was the warmest the Pie household had felt in a long time.


	40. Epilogue

It was three years after the Pies had first met Cheese Sandwich. Three years since they had hired him. Three years since Cheese had been allowed to court Pinkamena. He now had a home in Nickerlite--or at least in the hills between the town and the rock farm, built by the stallions in town, led by Igneous and Haralson. To say that Cheese had been grateful for that gesture was an understatement, and he settled into the house just fine--at least on those days where he wasn't making a delivery.

It was now a very special day, in which after courtship and an engagement, Pinkamena and Cheese were to be wed.

Normally, a stallion like Igneous Rock was tough to crack. However, his daughter's wedding had overwhelmed him enough that he nearly missed it, even as he attended.

The ceremony was held just outside of town, in the lush green field between the train station and the first hills of the path to the Pie family home. While used for carnivals and fairs, it also held the occasional wedding, such as the very one that was happening on a beautiful sunny day.

It seemed like such a dream as the ceremony had proceeded. He had walked her down the aisle, glancing at her periodically, in awe at how lovely she had looked. She wore a simple dress with some lace and a couple of bows here and there, a thin veil, and her mane and tail had been curled for the occasion. Her pink coat had been the brightest it had ever been, and she emitted a warm glow as she drew closer to her groom.

Igneous could not believe that this sweet pink mare had once been a tiny little filly, born on a beautiful spring day, and bearing attributes of both her grandmothers, as well as her mother's blue eyes. Starting out a ball of sunshine, only for her light to be snuffed by her grandmother's deaths, and remaining that way until she allowed it to be renewed again by a lonely and timid, dusty and downhearted, but ultimately kind soul.

And now, he was allowing that soul to be his daughter's companion.

Once Pinkamena was brought to the groom and the officiant, Igneous sat with his wife, and he couldn't help but look around. He noticed Haralson giving him a congratulatory smile. He noticed Sugar and Lemon shushing their fussy three-year-old daughter. He noticed Bluejinx and Purple Prose staring ahead, listening intently to the words spoken. He noticed his sister staring dreamily at the couple. Igneous looked ahead once again, seeing the siblings of the bride and groom up there, with the Pie sisters as Maids of Honor and Tomato being Best Stallion.

The words of the officiant and the vows exchanged were all a garble in his ears as he looked at just how happy Pinkamena was. Never had he seen a brighter smile from her, never had she glowed so much, and never had he seen her so pink. It was amazing how much she had changed from that somber mare three years before. He looked at Cheese, who held a glow himself, and his dimpled smile said so much. It was amazing how a simple drifter had managed to turn life upside down for the Pies--in a good way.

Once the kiss between the bride and groom was initiated, Igneous wiped his eyes.

"Are you crying?"

Igneous glanced at Cloudy. He coughed and muttered, "No... I just have something in my eye."

Cloudy patted his back. "Don't lie to me, you old coot. My father did the same thing when we got married."

Igneous grunted and looked at the newlyweds, who were smiling straight at him. They both waved, and in return, he tipped his hat and smiled back.

* * *

Later on, they were all having the reception, which was to go on until the train arrived so that the newlyweds could go on their wedding journey. Ponies were all spread out and talking among each other, sharing desserts, and some even going up to Cheese and Pinkamena to congratulate them. Some of the mares complimented the bride on her curls, to which she responded by bobbing her head just to bounce them.

Cheese and Pinkamena looked around the field, watching as Stayman and Idared tried to feed some pie to Butterscotch with little success, Tomato and Bluejinx laughing over something, Pinkamena's sisters teaching some of the foals how to make rock candy necklaces, and Igneous talking to Haralson.

Pinkamena shook her head. "Would you believe that this very town hated my family just for living in the back of beyond, so they made up stupid tales about us?"

Cheese chuckled. "I'm just glad that they changed their tune after that fire."

Pinkamena was looking at her father and Haralson as Cheese said that. "Yeah..."

Cheese leaned toward her, noting the tone of her voice. "What's wrong?"

Pinkamena sighed. "Even though a certain pony tried to kill us... I just wish there could have been a way to stop his behavior, so that his family didn't have to suffer so much grief. Just because Haralson can laugh and talk again doesn't mean his wound has healed."

Cheese patted her back. "It's a good thing that your father is being a good friend to him. That was something he needed, and still needs."

Pinkamena smiled at her husband, whose warm smile had not waned in the past three years. She gazed into his green eyes, still as lush as a meadow and shining with kindness.

Cheese cleared his throat. "Okay, let's go get some ice cream before it melts."

Pinkamena nodded, and they headed to the table where it was being served. "I wonder what flavor it is."

Cheese tapped his chin and jokingly answered, "Rocky road?"

Pinkamena gave him a funny look.

"It's chocolate ice cream with marshmallows and almonds. It's really good, I promise!" Cheese chuckled and quietly sang, "_I love rocky road..._"

Pinkamena shook her head. "You goofball. But I highly doubt it's that elaborate of a flavor; it'd probably be vanilla or strawberry or something." She glanced away for a brief moment in thought. "Now that I think of it, Rocky Road does sound like a good name for a foal."

Cheese flushed red. "Pinkie... we just got married. It's a little early to come up with a foal name when you're not even pregnant."

Pinkamena gave him a suggestive smirk, winked at him, and then trotted all the way to the ice cream table. Cheese stood there, absolutely flustered, his face warm from the implied message that he had just received. He pulled on the collar of his shirt, and he could have sworn steam came out.

Tomato came walking up to him. "Hey, bro."

Cheese turned to him and shouted, "It's ice cream!"

Tomato blinked and raised an eyebrow. "All right then. Hi, Ice Cream."

Cheese facehoofed. "Oh, no no no no, see, Pinkamena and I were just having a conversation about rocky road."

"Oh, that? Well, has she ever tried it?"

"She hasn't even heard of it!" Cheese plopped onto the grass and muttered, "Honeymoon bucket list item #1: Get her to try rocky road ice cream."

Tomato shook his head. "Oookay. Have fun with your dramatics over ice cream."

Cheese glanced at him and narrowed his eyes. "I am not being dramatic."

* * *

Pinkamena had turned around to find Cheese in conversation with his brother, and decided to just let them talk. Eating her ice cream, she was surprised when her father came walking up to her.

"Oh, hey, Pa," she said. "Are you here for ice cream?"

Igneous shook his head. "Nah, I'm not big on sweets. I'm just here to talk to you."

Pinkmena took another lick of her ice cream. "That's good, too."

Igneous rubbed the back of his head. "Listen, Pinkamena... this day... this wedding... I'm just in awe about the whole thing."

Pinkamena blinked. "You are?"

Igneous nodded. "It amazes me to think that the tiny newborn filly that I had held, bestowed names from her grandmothers onto her, and watched her first steps is now all grown up. You've found a good stallion, and now he's your husband. Hm, that means he's my son-in-law... anyway, Pinkamena, I think the greatest miracle is just to see your sweet and cheery smile again, even if it took a long time to get there. Your stubborn old father certainly needed to see it, even if he had to be shoved out of his comfort zone. Let me just say that I'm proud to be your father."

Pinkamena just smiled, set aside her ice cream, and threw her front legs around her father's neck for a hug. Igneous returned it with a few pats on the back.

Pinkamena sighed. "I love you, Pa."

Igneous drew back and smiled at her. "I love you, too, sweetheart." He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "Now, make sure that husband of yours doesn't get into trouble." He looked back and raised an eyebrow at Cheese and Tomato throwing clumps of dirt at each other, laughing as they did so. "I get the feeling their mother would have a fit upon seeing their dirty clothes..."

Pinkamena rolled her eyes. "I met her; she would."

* * *

Cheese and Pinkamena waved to their friends and family as the train departed. They sat at the caboose, watching as the town shrank in the growing distance. They took a whiff of the pine scent that was beginning to fill the air, and watched the trees buzz on by.

"So long, Nickerlite," Pinkamena said. "I'm off to see new places."

Cheese chuckled. "Those 'new places' are going to be old news for me."

Pinkamena smirked. "Well, you better get to showing me around soon. I may have delivered rocks to some neighboring towns, but you've gone farther and seen more. So be sure to point out some of the neat things we see."

Cheese put a hoof on hers and drew close enough for their muzzles to touch. "You don't have to ask me twice."

Pinkamena giggled, and they kissed once again. The same sweet taste filled their mouths again, the same warmth arose in their bodies, their hearts pounded, and it only increased as they deepened it. Cheese gently touched her face with his free hoof, and Pinkamena put her free hoof on his shoulder. They felt like they could hold their kiss forever, and even if they couldn't, they had free reign to do it again and again.

They broke the kiss and hugged. Cheese sighed and looked up at the sky, thankful for the day his life had changed.

The day when he met the rock farmer's daughters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE END.
> 
> And that's a wrap! I'm still grateful for those FIMfiction folks who back in 2014 encouraged me to keep going with their feedback, and today, I will thank the peeps here on AO3 that gave kudos and commented, telling me that this fic is still worthwhile. You guys are awesome, and let me know if you'd like me to transfer some of my other pony fics here. 
> 
> Okay, have a nice day!


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